When the Last Petal Falls
by fandomsecrets
Summary: Life after City of Lost Souls - "How am I supposed to look at the man I love, and tell myself it's time to move on?" - A Malec fic
1. Finding Home

**Hey guys! This story is about Alec coming to terms with the breakup.. sort of. I'll try to update regularly, but I'm not sure how regular it will be. Anyway, enough blabbing from me! Enjoy! :)  
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**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in this story. (Sigh) They belong to the lovely Cassandra Clare. Also there are two sections in here that are completely Cassandras. There is an excerpt from "Kissed", Cassandras short story on her website, and a scene from Magnus's party in City of Bones. The City of Bones one is from Alec's point of view, so obviously it's a little different. But PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT INTENDING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THOSE. **

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Alec trudged towards Magnus's apartment, his eyes focused intently on the ground below him, willing himself not to fall. He had been wandering around the city for hours trying to make sense of what had just happened. It had been dark when he left the subway, now the sun was shining through the trees and along the buildings. He didn't know what to do now. He had been counting on Camille to be there. He had been counting on using her as an escape from the emotions steadily building inside him. But he was too late for Camille. He shook the thought from his mind, trying to concentrate in the task at hand. He entered Magnus's building, and his heart began to race. He had been putting this off for hours, but now it was time. _You can do this, _he thought. _Get in, get out. _Alec walked up the stairs without realizing it, habit getting the best of him. He looked up just in time to stop himself from slamming into Magnus's door. He stared at the door, willing himself not to remember, but knowing it was impossible.

"_What is it?" Alec said._

"_Never kissed anyone?" Magnus said. "No one at all?"_

"_No," said Alec, hoping this didn't disqualify him from being datable. "Not a real kiss —"_

"_Come here." Magnus took him by the elbows and pulled him close. For a moment Alec was entirely disoriented by the feeling of being so close to someone else, to the kind of person he'd wanted to be close to for so long. Magnus was long and lean but not skinny; his body was hard, his arms lightly muscled but strong; he was an inch or so taller than Alec, which hardly ever happened, and they fit together perfectly. Magnus' finger was under his chin, tilting his face up, and then they were kissing. Alec heard a small hitching gasp come from his own throat and then their mouths were pressed together with a sort of controlled urgency. Magnus, Alec thought dazedly, really knew what he was doing. His lips were soft, and he parted Alec's expertly, exploring his mouth: a symphony of lips, teeth, tongue, every movement waking up a nerve ending Alec had never known he had._

_He found Magnus' waist with his fingers, touching the strip of bare skin he'd been trying to avoid looking at before, and slid his hands up under Magnus' shirt. Magnus jerked with surprise, then relaxed, his hands running down Alec's arms, over his chest, his waist, finding the belt loops on Alec's jeans and using them to pull him closer. His mouth left Alec's and Alec felt the hot pressure of his lips on his throat, where the skin was so sensitive that it seemed directly connected to the bones in his legs, which were about to give out. Just before he slid to the floor, Magnus let him go. His eyes were shining and so was his mouth._

"_Now you've been kissed," he said, reached behind him, and yanked the door open. "See you Friday?"_

Alec tried to force the memory from his mind, but he couldn't. Magnus had been the first person to show him any attention _that_ way. The first person to tell him he was worth attention. Alec's vision blurred as he dug the key Magnus gave him out of his pocket and opened the door.

Everything looked exactly as it had before he left. It seemed wrong. How could anything stay the same, when everything was changing for him? It didn't seem fair. Alec's eyes drifted around the room, committing everything to memory for the last time. Magnus had been clear; this would be the last time he was here. Alec's chest tightened at the thought. He picked up a pair of boots he had left by the door, and slowly made his way through the house, frantically trying to hold off the onslaught of memories that were sure to come. One of his shirts was dangling from the edge if the table, tossed aside in the throes of passion. Alec clenched his jaw at the memory, willing it not to break him. He had a job to do. Magnus had asked him to do one thing, _one thing, _and he'd be damned if he couldn't do it. He owed Magnus that. Alec retrieved the shirt and grabbed a trash bag from the kitchen to put his things in. He didn't have anything else to use at the moment. He hadn't been home since it happened... and he didn't think he was ready to face everyone yet. Or anyone, really. Alec scanned the main room for anything of his that he had forgotten, but found nothing. There was only one more place left in the house to check.

Magnus's room.

Alec took a shaky breath, attempting to calm himself. It didn't work. He curled his hand around the doorknob, and gently pushed the door open. Everything in the room screamed _Magnus, _just like it always did; but this time was different. This time was very different. Everywhere he looked there were memories; memories with a man who Alec could no longer call his. Regret seared through his veins like fire. How could he have been so stupid? Why had he ever considered Camille's offer for even a second? He should have followed his gut. He should have been happy to have Magnus at all. Alec's gaze connected with the rainbow velvet curtains, remembering the first time he saw Magnus.

_The warlock was pacing nervously near the window. Clary was whining about her lost memory, and Alec all but rolled his eyes at her antics. _

_"All my life I've felt like there was something wrong with me," She was saying. "Something missing or damaged. Now I know-"_

_"I didn't damage you." Magnus interrupted angrily. "Every teenager in the world feels like that, feels broken or out of place, different somehow, royalty mistakenly born into a family of peasants. The difference in your case is that it's true. You __**are **__different. Maybe not better-but different. And it's no picnic being different. You want to know what it's like when you happen to be born with the devil's mark?" He demanded, splaying his fingers towards his eyes. "When your 'father' flinches at the sight of you and your mother hangs herself in the barn, driven mad by what she's done-or what's been done to her? When I was ten, my father tried to drown me in a creek. He knew I was no son of his; that my real father was a demon. I lashed out at him with everything I had-burned him where he stood. I went to the Silent Brothers eventually, for sanctuary. They hid me. They say pity's a bitter thing, but it's better than hate. When I found out what I was really, only half a human being, I hated myself. Anything's better than that."_

_The room was silent, barely willing to breathe. Alec couldn't believe what Magnus had just said. How could anyone live through that? What kind of person could try to murder their own child? Alec's mind was swirling, and without thinking, he broke the silence. "It wasn't your fault. You can't help how you're born." He said adamantly. _

_Magnus's eyes flashed, boring into Alec's with an intensity that made him squirm. Suddenly, his expression closed off. "I'm over it," he told Alec, turning back to Clary. Alec couldn't sort through his own emotions, so he didn't even try to figure out what had just happened. But from that point on, he decided he'd pay more attention to what the warlock was saying. _

Alec blinked back tears. Now he was just another name on the list of people who had disappointed Magnus in his long life. Alec crumpled into the wrinkled blankets on the bed; this bed, where he'd giving everything he had to Magnus. He pulled the comforter up to his face, inhaling the scent that was purely Magnus. He didn't want to believe this was the last time he would experience that smell. The smell that brought home, made him feel safe. Nothing mattered when he was enveloped in Magnus's arms, drowning in blankets. But that would never happen again. He had made sure of that. Alec wrapped the comforter around himself, and gingerly got off the bed. Opening his drawer in the dresser, he withdrew a few articles of clothing and dropped them into the bag. Alec was about to dump the remaining contents if the drawer into his bag when something caught his eye. A gift from Magnus. Magnus had given him this on his birthday a few months ago, after Alec kissed him in front of the whole Clave. _No, _Alec thought with passion. He couldn't think about that right now. The gift was a silver, plated bracelet, with leather ties. On the inside of the bracelet, _FREELY LOVE _was inscribed beautifully. It was the most meaningful gifts he had ever received. Alec slid it on his wrist, not caring if it was right to take it or not. He poured the remaining items into his bag and moved on to the closet. He hesitated; once he opened this door, that was it. He would have to leave, and he couldn't come back. Ever.

Alec opened the closet door. It looked just how he expected it to; just like it had last time he saw it. There were sparkles and leather everywhere. Every color in the rainbow was scattered randomly throughout the closet. It was a mess, just like the rest of the apartment. Alec felt warm for the first time since he had last spoken with Magnus. All this glitter and color was like home for him. It was a part of the man he loved. No. The man whose trust he had shattered. The man who he had hurt deeply, beyond forgiveness. The warmth immediately left his body. He could no longer think of Magnus as his. He had given up that right the second he listen to Camille. He bent down and picked up a few random articles of clothing, cramming them in the bag with the rest of his stuff. When he looked up he saw a dark green shirt, covered in glitter and sequins, hanging front and center. Alec squinted and stared at the shirt. It hung there like a prized possession, or a trophy. Alec's knees gave out when he realized why.

_Alec rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at Magnus."I'm not letting you dress me up, Magnus." His voice sounded exasperated even to his own ears. _

_"What about if you get to approve the outfit before we leave?" Magnus countered. _

_"Magnus!" Alec whined. Magnus knew Alec would give in eventually. They'd had this argument a thousand times already. Magnus looked at Alec mocking a pleading expression. Alec sighed in defeat, and Magnus shouted joyfully in an unknown language. Magnus jumped off the couch and dragged Alec to his bedroom. Pushing him on the bed gently, Magnus darted into the closet. He emerged a few minutes later with a dark green shirt covered in glitter and sequins, and a pair of of torn, black jeans. Magnus looked at Alec with a devious grin. "Let's go make you sexy, Alexander." He purred. Magnus took his arm and dragged him towards the bathroom. _

_"Magnus, we didn't agree to hair and makeup!" Alec complained, his voice slowly climbing an octave. Magnus wasn't relenting. Alec sighed and gave in to whatever his crazy boyfriend was planning. _

Alec sat on the floor of the closet, staring at the green shirt for a long time. His eyes were burning, but he wouldn't cry.

He couldn't.

_He _was the one that caused this.

He wouldn't cry.

With one last look at the closet, Alec stood up, leaving the comforter in the ground, and grabbed the green shirt, stuffing it into his bag, which was not full, and slowest backed out of the closet. He dragged himself through the house, all the way to the front door. He stopped there and turned around, taking one last look at the apartment. This was it. This was the end. Magnus had been very clear, he didn't want to see Alec again. It was over. Alec clutched his bag tightly to his chest, trying to ease the pain in his chest. He couldn't. Alec removed his key from his pocket and set it on the floor. He couldn't keep it now. He had no claim to this apartment, or anything inside it. Alec turned and pried the door open, walking out with jerky movements, slamming the door behind him. Once he got out of the building, he broke into a run. It was the only way he knew how to escape this feeling. But running wouldn't work this time. Once he reached the institute , the sun was beating directly from above him. With a short prayer for strength, Alec opened the doors to the institute.

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**Cliffhanger on my first chapter hehehe. So how did you all like it? Review and let me know how you feel about it! :)**


	2. Not That It Changes Anything

**All right, here is chapter two! I think I'm going to make this story have multiple chapters, so let me know if you want more! :) **

**Also let me know how you feel about the length and all that stuff. I'm new to this so I'm not completely sure. Just to warn you ahead of time, there ARE going to be multiple POV's in this story, so let me know if it gets too hard to follow who is who, and I'll fix it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, nor will I ever. (Sobs) They all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare. Also, There is another section here that is straight out of the book, you'll recognize it when you see it I'm sure. Please note that I am NOT IN ANY WAY claiming to have written that part. It is italicized so I'm sure you'll be able to spot it. **

**Read on :)**

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Alec slipped inside the institute, clutching his bag tightly to his chest. He had thought once he left Magnus's house he would be able to keep the memories at bay, but he was wrong. Everywhere he looked he saw Magnus. He thought of the first time Magnus came here; for _him. _Alec remembered the way he held Magnus's hand for hours while Magnus healed him, and even after he was healed. He remembered how Magnus didn't let go; how safe he felt. Alec shook the memory away and tried to focus. He crept down the hallway, looking around every corner before he passed. He reached his room without difficulty, and quietly entered. Alec thought he would be relieved to be home,within the comfort of his own room; but he was wrong. His chest heaved. Everything felt foreign to him. Wrong. He walked toward his bed, gently laying the trash bag on the floor beside it. He couldn't think. Every thought was filled with Magnus. His breathing sped up as he collapsed into his bed. The room was spinning. Alec closed his eyes tightly, willing himself to sleep. If sleep was the only escape in sight, he would gladly take it. Anything was better the hell he was experiencing now. He curled his legs into his chest and let himself drift away.

* * *

"This is officially the most boring day I've had all year." Isabelle whined to herself. She had spent the entire morning alone, which was unusual. Jace and Clary were busy trying to figure out how to deal with Jace's new found heat issues. The "burn everything accidentally" thing was pretty annoying, but Isabelle was glad to have Jace back either way. Alec hadn't left Jace's side until last night, when he went to Magnus's for the night. Isabelle was glad her brother was finally going to see Magnus. Alec had been constantly talking about him while Jace had been unconscious. Isabelle couldn't blame him, Magnus _had _almost died. Magnus had told Alec to go to Jace so he could rest, but Isabelle could tell he just wanted to make Alec happy. It was sweet.

Isabelle had been in the training room since early this morning, thoroughly exhausting herself. She showered quickly and decided she would go visit Simon. After applying enough makeup to look presentable, she grabbed a jacket and headed for the door. She paused at Alec's door, noticing it had been closed. He must have come home while she was showering. She was about to leave when she heard him quietly muttering to himself. Isabelle opened the door to make fun of him, and was surprised to see he was sleeping. It didn't appear to be a peaceful slumber. Alec was tossing back and forth, his hands clenching the sheets. His hair stuck to his face, which was slick with sweat, and his whole body was shaking. His face was contorted into a pained expression. He was calling out to Magnus repeatedly, his voice raspy from screaming, Isabelle guessed. Forgetting Simon, she quickly moved to his bed, shaking him roughly. Alec's breathing picked up but he didn't wake. He continued tossing himself back and forth, tears in his eyes. "Alec!" Isabelle screamed in panic. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him with more force. He bolted straight up, gasping and looked desperately at Isabelle through his tears. His mouth quivered, and Isabelle wondered what in the angels name he had been dreaming about. She pulled him into her arms, caressing his head against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and clung to her like a lifeline. Sobs wracked through his body. She hated seeing him cry, especially considering how scarcely it happened. She held him tightly, stroking his hair, telling him it was just a dream. But she knew something was wrong. Something had happened... No.

It was just a dream. It had to be.

* * *

Alec had known this would happen. He had known that if he started crying, he wouldn't be able to stop. Isabelle held him firmly, her arms encircling him in a protective embrace. Tears slid from his eyes at an alarming rate. Every memory was flooding into his mind at the same time. Magnus's eyes, the way his hair fell in his face early in the morning, his smile... The way he stared at Alec when he thought Alec wasn't looking. The way his eyes lit up when Alec told him "I love you" the first time. The nights spent in each others arms. Alec couldn't control the strangled sobs that wracked through his body as he remembered. He had lost everything. And what was worse; _it was entirely his fault. _

Alec lost track of how much time had passed while he shook in Isabelle's arms. Eventually he got a hold of himself, and he was left clinging helplessly to his sister. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly, looking at anything but Isabelle. He didn't know what to say to her. How could he tell her that he had lost the only person-besides his family-he had ever loved?

"Alec," Isabelle whispered, her voice filled with concern. Alec slowly turned to face her. Her eyes were misty, her face a mixture of alarm and worry. "Alec, what happened?"

Alec stared at her and bit his lip. Isabelle sensed his fear, and reached for his hands, clasping them firmly between her own. It was times like these when her nurturing, protective side came out. "You can tell me." She told him firmly.

Alec nodded, blinking through the new tears that had begun to fall.

"We're done." He told her. His voice was raspy, more so than he expected. "Me and Magnus." He tried to steady his voice, "It's over."

Isabelle's expression hardened. She looked about 50 shades of pissed. "What happened?" Her voice sounded like it was carved from steel.

"It was my fault Iz." Alec told her. "I-I made a mistake." His head fell in shame. "Camille told me- she told me we would grow apart. She said I would grow old and die," his voice cracked, "while Magnus moved on. Unless I changed it." Tears streamed down his face. "I ruined everything, Isabelle."

"What do you mean 'unless you changed it'?" Isabelle asked.

"Camille told me there's a way to make warlocks into mortals. And I... considered it." Alec admitted. "Camille told Magnus about it, and he followed me last night when I went to meet her. I was going to tell her the deal was off, that I wouldn't do it. But he stopped me first." Alec told her miserably.

"Alec..." Isabelle seemed to be struggling for words. "Come here." She stretched her arms out to him once again, and pulled him close to her.

"It's going to be okay." She promised him.

He tried to believe her.

* * *

When Alec opened his eyes it was dark. He was alone again, and could hear voices arguing quietly down the hall.

"No... make it worse... he blames himself..."

"... talk some sense into him... "

Alec squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the rest of the argument. He knew they were talking about him. He recognized one of the voices as it got louder.

"He's my brother too, Isabelle." Jace declared defiantly. "You're not the only one who knows what's good for him." Alec heard a door slam and someone sighed. Isabelle spoke again at a normal volume.

"Alec's going to be furious when he wakes up." Isabelle said matter-of-factly. There was a hint of desperation in her voice, underneath a slight tinge of anger.

"We don't have to tell him," Clary whispered, "at least, not right now." Alec had to strain to hear her voice. "We can wait until worst of it has blown over."

"This isn't some crush, Clary. Alec _loves _him. And from the sound of it, Magnus still loves him." Alec's throat tightened at Isabelle's words. He couldn't hear Isabelle or Clary anymore. _Magnus still loves him. _His mind repeated the phrase bitterly. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he remembered...

_"Kiss me," Alec said. _

_Magnus put his hand to the side of Alec's face and gently, almost absently, ran his thumb along Alec's cheekbone. When he bent to kiss him, he smelled like sandalwood. Alec clutched the sleeve of Magnus's jacket, and the witchlight, held between their bodies, flared up in colors of rose and blue and green. _

_It was a slow kiss, and a sad one. When Magnus drew away, Alec found that somehow he was holding the witchlight alone; Magnus's hand was gone. The light was a soft white. _

_Softly, Magnus said, "Aku cinta kamu."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_Magnus disentangled himself from Alec's grip. "It means I love you. Not that that changes anything."_

It didn't matter that Magnus loved him; He had made that clear. What Alec did was beyond forgiveness is Magnus's mind.

_Not that it changes anything. _

The words echoed in his mind like an open wound. How could he ever move on knowing Magnus still loved him; knowing how deeply he had hurt him? Alec closed his eyes. He was afraid to sleep, so he would just lay here and try to forget.

* * *

Isabelle threw another dagger at the target, hitting the bulls eye yet again. She threw another, harder this time. Bulls eye. She had been doing this for hours, slowly working out her aggression on the target. Alec hadn't come out of his room yet, but Isabelle heard him crying again earlier in the morning. She hadn't seen him since yesterday, when he had told her what happened. It killed her to see him like this, but she didn't know how to help him. _Thud. _Another bulls eye. Isabelle went to retrieve the daggers from the targets, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Alec walk into the training room. He didn't acknowledge her as he grabbed some weapons and gear. Isabelle didn't know what to say.

"I'm going on a hunt." Alec stated without looking at her.

"I'm coming, obviously."

"Obviously," Alec muttered. Isabelle grabbed a Seraph blade and a few daggers and scurried after him. Alec was walking quickly and Isabelle almost had to run to keep up with him. They made their way through the institute quickly, and were soon jogging down the street. It was dark; Isabelle regretted not grabbing a witchlight on her way out if the institute. They rounded the corner of a dark alley, and approached an abandoned old apartment complex. Isabelle looked at her brother wearily. They always avoided this area because of the high-risk demons that hung around. Alec took out his sensor and began the search. They entered the building and Alec immediately ran to the stairs. He withdrew his blade and beckoned Isabelle to follow. She unraveled her whip from her wrist and crept up the stairs behind him. She saw a smile sneak into Alec's face as he ran into the hallway.

_What is going on here?_

* * *

Alec charged into one of the rooms, shouting in victory when he found what he was looking for.

The demon stood near the corner of the abandoned apartment, dripping its goo on the floor. It stood about six feet tall, and three feet wide; a red blob with arms. The demon turned its large eye at Alec, and almost smiled. Alec ran towards the demon at full speed. The demon was ready, and swung it's long tentacle-like arms swiftly in Alec's direction, knocking him to the ground. Alec rolled to the left, narrowly dodging another strike. The floor was cracked and splintered where the demon struck it. Isabelle came charging into the room just in time to witness Alec being slung roughly across the room. He hit the wall with a loud crash, breaking the cupboard he landed on. He felt blood drip down his side, but he felt no pain. He rolled to the floor, smiling, ready for another shot. He wiped blood from his mouth and advanced on the beast again, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. Isabelle was frozen at the door, her mouth agape. Alec ignored her and charged again. He ducked under the slimy tentacles and swiped his blade at the beasts middle. The creature roared angrily and slammed Alec to the ground, knocking the breath out of his chest. Isabelle charged into action, flinging her whip around the creature's neck and pulling it taut. She withdrew a dagger from her boot, and flung it into the beasts eye. It screamed in agony as a tentacle shot out at her ferociously, slamming her against the wall. Alec, crawled out from under the beast and jumped up onto its back, stabbing its oozing head again and again. The beast fell to the ground and Alec delivered one final blow to its head with his seraph blade. Alec fell to the floor as the beast disappeared from under him. He looked excitedly at Isabelle, who was staring at him with utter fury.

"_What the hell was that?"_ she screeched.

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**I'm sorry if everything's not completely accurate to the book. I'm trying, really. It's just EXTREMELY hard to keep up with all those facts! How did you like this chapter? Review and let me know what you think! :)**


	3. Forgetting Magnus Bane

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! I was out of town for a few days visiting family, so I didn't have any time to write. Anyway, here is chapter three! I hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own these characters. *sobs uncontrollably* They belong to the phenomenal Cassandra Clare. **

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Alec stared at Isabelle with disbelief. "What do you mean? That was amazing. How could you-"

"ALEC, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Isabelle was absolutely furious. Alec scrambled through his thoughts, searching for a reason behind Isabelle's fury; He couldn't find one.

"What are you talking about?"

"Alec, look at yourself!" Her voice sounded desperate. Alec looked down at his body and saw what she was talking about. He was completely covered in blood. My blood, alec thought shakily. The adrenalin was fading, and the pain was beginning to set in. He tried to pull himself off the floor, but his legs gave out. His vision was blurring; he shook his head furiously, attempting to clear it. Isabelle darted towards him, lifting him up and slinging his arm over her shoulder to support him.

"I'm fine," he complained, pushing against her slightly as they walked towards the door.

"No, you're not."

Alec pulled away from Isabelle, clutching the door frame for support, and reached in his boot for his stele. Isabelle stopped him with a wave of her hand, her own stele already in hand, and began drawing an iratze on Alec's skin.

"You're certainly not fine," Isabelle fumed. "I know you're upset, but that's no reason to go off on a suicidal rampage."

"I didn't."

"Then how would you describe what just happened?" Isabelle finished his Iratze, tucking her stele into her boot.

"I would say two perfectly capable Shadowhunters just killed a demon. Don't over analyze it, Isabelle."

Isabelle shook her head and stalked into the hall, leaving Alec alone in the hallway.

* * *

Alec limped back into the institute with a smile dancing in his lips. He hadn't felt this good in days; and he hadn't wanted to. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, his heart racing... the whole fight had given him a feeling of pure ecstasy. For the first time since Magnus had ended things, he felt light; he felt almost _happy_. He had been afraid he would never feel that again. Alec entered his room, falling into his bed with a sigh, and drifted into a perfect, dreamless sleep.

Alec woke up before dawn. Despite the screams of his aching body, he gathered his gear and weapons, and slipped out of the institute unnoticed. He ran at full speed across the city, losing himself in the steady rhythm of his feet thudding against the pavement. He felt free, absolutely liberated from every complication in life. His pace increased as he sprinted further and further away from the institute. The sun had begun to show itself, peeking between the buildings and glittering from the glass that surrounded Alec. He ran recklessly through the streets, searching for somewhere to start his impulsive hunt. He tore his sensor out of his pocket, and smiled. There was a reading. He looked up to find himself standing in front of Pandemonium. His smile grew as he entered the club, seraph blade in hand, knowing he'd found exactly what he was looking for.

* * *

Alec approached the institute in a much different state than he had left in. His gear was torn and bloodied, his hair was a tangled mess, blood matting it to his head. He had a deep wound in his arm that an iratze couldn't quite fix. Isabelle would be furious if she saw him, so he entered the institute with extra care as to who saw him. He sneaked through the halls, successfully reaching his room without being caught. He gingerly peeled his shirt from his bloodied body, wincing dragged across his wounds. He couldn't reach his back, so he was going to have to ask someone to heal it. Maybe Simon.

Just before he removed his pants, the door flew open, denting the wall. Isabelle stood fuming at the threshold of his room. _How did she know he had gone out_, he wondered. He had been very careful not to leave anything out of place.

"Did you think no one would notice the _trail of blood_ leading from the doors to your room?" She asked, as if she could read his mind.

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't get why you're making this such a big deal."

Isabelle didn't respond. Her eyes raked over his naked torso as she looked sadly into his eyes. She looked near tears. Alec couldn't understand what she was so upset about. He had gone out, killed a few demons at Pandemonium, and come home. She walked towards him, removing her stele from her boot, and began drawing an iratze over his heart. When she was finished, she tucked her stele away, and left the room without another word.

* * *

"Alec has gone out four times _this week_." Jace retrieved the daggers he had thrown at the target and began throwing again. He WAS worried about Alec, but he didn't know if it was fair to stop his frivolous activities. Anyone could see how much better Alec felt after one of his outings, and it felt wrong to take that away from him. Still, Jace thought, Alec _has_ been coming home every night looking worse than the previous night.

"FOUR TIMES," Isabelle emphasized when he didn't respond.

"Isabelle..." He looked at Clary for help.

"I agree with Isabelle," Clary informed him. "You need to talk to him." She placed her hand on Jace's forearm, gently lowering his dagger. "He needs you, whether he knows it or not."

"Fine," Jace mumbled with a sigh, hurling the remaining dagger at the target board. "Where is he?"

"His room," Isabelle told him with a sickeningly sweet smile. Clary and Isabelle shared a look and smiled encouragingly in his direction, earning a groan. He grudgingly walked out of the training room and headed for Alec's. The silent brothers still hadn't figured out his _burn everything you touch_ issue, so the amount of physical comfort he could offer was limited. Although, Alec didn't seem to want it anyway. He had wanted to just tag along on one of Alecs demon hunts, but he had been forbidden, due to his "heat issues", as Simon put it. When he reached Alec's room he entered without knocking, finding Alec lying on his bed in a bloodied, unshowered mess. Alec was lying on his back, awake, but he didn't acknowledge Jace's presence.

"Damn it, Alec! How many times do I have to tell you not to play in the street!"

Alec's mouth twitched into an almost-smile; that alone was a small victory. Jace plopped down on the bed next to Alec. "Seriously, what _have_ you been doing?"

Alec lifted his head off the bed and looked at him with disdain, "Has Isabelle been talking to you?" Alec took Jace's silence as a yes. "God, she is so ridiculous! I'm fine, and any attempt to make you believe otherwise is complete bullshit."

Jace looked at Alec, long and contemplatively, and nodded slightly. Alec visibly relaxed and he let his head fall back onto the bed with a sigh.

"Alec, she's just worried about you. Everyone is." Jace told him sincerely.

"Well they don't need to be."

"Alec, I get it. Really, I do. Hell, I'd probably do the same thing if it was me and Clary. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let _you _do it. You're better than this." Jace flipped onto his side and looked at Alec meaningfully. "This isn't going to make you forget forever. Eventually you're gonna have to deal with it."

"Jace, _I'm fine._" Alec seethed. "I'm not "not dealing" with anything. This is just me doing what Shadowhunters are supposed to do. It's not my fault I'm the only one doing it."

"Ouch." Jace pulled himself off the bed and walked towards the door. He paused at the door, looking over his shoulder at Alec. "Just have someone come with you, okay?"

"Okay," Alec agreed diplomatically.

* * *

Alec didn't care what Jace thought; Going alone was the whole point of going.

He didn't care what Isabelle thought; He wasn't getting too hurt.

Everything was fine, and everything was going to stay fine. He was too busy to remember, and that was all that mattered. He heard Jace make his way down the hallway, presumably on his way to tell Isabelle everything they had talked about. It didn't matter. No matter how hard they pushed him, how right they actually were, he couldn't do it. He couldn't deal with the pain. He had only let it in once, and nearly broken. He couldn't risk that.

Alec kept his eyes open for as long as he could until they burned, screaming at him for rest. It was hard to sleep now. During the day he could hold off the memories and the pain, but at night he couldn't control it, so he fought it. And he would continue to fight it until he couldn't anymore. Alec felt his mind drifting away.

He woke from his restless, nightmare-filled sleep with a jolt. He was becoming accustomed to this; waking up in the middle of the night, his body shaking and spasming with uncontrolled emotion. Alec tried his damnedest to stay awake, but his humanity betrayed him. No matter how how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake forever. His body required sleep. He had to go through hell to forget about it. Alec dragged his eyes to the clock; 3:28 am. Alec groaned and swung his legs over the side if the bed, pulling himself into a sitting position. He stayed like that, his head in his hands, trying desperately forget what he had been dreaming about, for a long time. He looked at the clock an hour later, and wrenched himself off the bed with determination. Remaining calm wasn't working; it never did and it never would. He grabbed his seraph blade off the nightstand and headed for the city, completely forgetting about gear or any kind of safety precautions. He strode out the institute doors with a new kind of recklessness in the forefront of his mind. I have to forget, Alec thought.

_I have to forget._

Alec hadn't bothered taking his sensor with him tonight. He didn't need it. He didn't need to know how many demons he would be facing; he didn't care. He lost himself in his run, focusing solely on the rhythm of his footsteps. When he finally looked up, he found himself standing in front of Magnus's building. He wanted to ask himself how he had gotten here, but he knew it was pointless. He still loved Magnus with every fiber of his being; of course his body would be pulled here. He gritted his teeth as he passed by the building, willing himself not to look back as he walked away. It wasn't fair that every good memory he'd had with Magnus could be ruined like this. It wasn't fair the he had lost the only person who thought he was worth fighting for. It wasn't fair that one mistake could ruin everything. But it had. It had, and he couldn't change that. Magnus didn't want to see him again, and he wouldn't. _If that's the last thing I can give to him, I'll do it_, Alec told himself adamantly.

Alec rounded the corner and entered an abandoned street, searching everywhere for something to kill. Alec saw the lights flickering at the end of the street. He jogged toward them, smiling to himself when he saw a vampire stagger into the front lawn. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"Maybe if you weren't such a jackass, she wouldn't be mad." Isabelle told him smugly. Jace had a track record for these kinds of things, and Clarys anger wasn't surprising to Isabelle in the least.

"I didn't mean he was actually _braindead!" _Jace said defensively.

"Girls typically don't enjoy it when their boyfriend tells their best friend he's a mentally deficient, bloodsucking monster with a-"

"THANK YOU, ISABELLE." Jace interrupted. His head dropped into his hands with a groan while Isabelle laughed.

"You know, if you would just apologize-"

"I can't just _apologize,"_ Jace interrupted again. He threw his hands up in exasperation. "That's the whole point!"

"By the angel, Jace, if this is some kind of _Prove Your Manliness_ test I swear- JACE!" Isabelle lost her train of thought as Jace collapsed to the floor, gasping as he clutched his chest. Isabelle darted across the room and knelt on the floor next to him. He had been perfectly fine just a moment ago, what had happened?

Jace's eyes were wide as he stared at Isabelle in horror. "Something's wrong."

"What the hell is going on?" Isabelle demanded.

"Alec," Jace gasped. "Something's-happened," He choked out. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," Isabelle whimpered. "He's been gone all day." Isabelles chest constricted as she tried to pull in breath.

Jace pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Alec. It rang four times and went to voicemail.

"Shit!" Jace shouted. He pulled himself to his feet and sprinted to Alecs room. He wasn't there.

Jace turned to see Isabelle had come behind him.

"What do we do?" She asked him in a small voice. Isabelle looked at Jace like he was her only hope. Jace's heart pounded in his chest.

A loud bang interrupted them before Jace could answer her. He sprung into action, flinging himself into the hallway. Isabelle scrambled after him, tears blurring her vision. They ran to the entrance of the Institute, Isabelle lagging a few yards behind Jace. The banging was getting louder, more urgent. Jace wrenched the door open without hesitation.

Isabelle gasped in horror behind him, fighting the scream that was steadily building in her lungs.

Standing at the door of the institute was Magnus Bane.

In his arms was a the limp body of Alec Lightwood.

* * *

**What do you think is going to happen? And also, what would YOU LIKE to see happen?**

**What do you guys think? Review and let me know what you liked or didn't like!**


	4. Saving Alexander Lightwood

**Hey guys! First, I would like to say thank you SO MUCH for all your reviews! I have literally been squealing every time I read one! Seriously, the reviews actually do spur me on to write faster. So thanks for reviewing guys :3 I'm trying to update at least 3 times a week, if not more, so bear with me if I take a little longer sometimes. Some chapters are harder to write than others. **

**Also I've noticed (while reading over previous chapters) some errors grammatically, which I am SO embarrassed about, that I WILL be fixing. I'm REALLY sorry if they dulled the reading experience! I don't have a beta, and sometimes I forget to check for that stuff. I'll try to work on that. **

**But anyway, I'd like to specifically thank Aveafaun for the idea to do Magnus's POV for this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the lovely characters I write about. They all belong to the perfection we call Cassandra Clare. **

**Sorry for this ridiculously long note, Enjoy :)**

* * *

Magnus stayed in bed more often than he got up these days. He had decided to mix it up this morning though, moving to the couch, then back to bed when he got tired of staring at the ceiling fan. He hadn't been able to sleep tonight, which wasn't surprising, considering he barely slept at all anymore. Magnus groaned. How could one boy, one _shadowhunter, _affect him this way? After all this time, Magnus had thought he had grown more accustomed to loss, to _pain. _His heart ached as the images of the beautiful boy surfaced in his mind. Magnus closed his eyes, wishing away the blue eyes that burned their way into his memory. Blue eyes that reflect the innermost spark of brilliance. Magnus remember looking into the depths of those eyes and feeling like he could see into the deepest part of Alec's soul. Every moment that he gazed into them was different from the last.

Magnus chewed on his lip, trying to figure out what to do with his day _besides _pine over the boy he'd broken up with. He had given up on a normal sleeping schedule due to his failure to sleep without dreaming of Alec, and was now growing accustomed to getting very few hours. Chairman Meow sauntered into the room, leaping onto Magnus's lap with poise. Magnus stroked him absently, trying to remember why it was so important to forget about Alexander Lightwood.

Oh yeah, Alec had tried to kill him.

_Okay, maybe that's a little melodramatic_, Magnus thought to himself. He knew Alec had been trying to help their relationship with his foolish considerations. But that's all they were, _considerations. _Just thoughts that he had decided not to put into action. So what had Alec _really _done?

No. Magnus silently cursed himself for thinking this way. The breakup was hardly about anything Alec could have done. Magnus got up from his bed, setting Chairman on the floor, and trudged toward the window. He couldn't have Alec, no matter how much he wanted him. There was too much at risk, too much to lose. Magnus let his mind wander as he stood at the large window, silently watching the constant flow of cars as they made their way to who knows where. Magnus's eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face standing below his window.

_Alec. _

Alec stood a few steps away from the front door of Magnus's building, looking utterly confused under the dim illumination of the street lights. He was staring at the doors intently, and didn't seem to notice Magnus watching him. Magnus felt his heart thudding against his rib cage furiously, and his head began to throb. He hadn't thought he would see the Shadowhunter again this soon after the breakup. Magnus swore. He had been _very specific _with his demands. He had told Alec not to come back here. He stepped away from the window, peering stealthily from the edge to see what Alec was doing.

Alec ran a hand through his hair, making a mess of it as usual, and turned sharply away from the building. Magnus could see his jaw clenching as he walked away. He watched as Alec slowly disappeared into the shadows. His heart was in his throat by the time he ripped himself away from the window. He slowly lowered himself to the ground, leaning against the wall for support. He loved that boy so much it _hurt. _Being apart from him hurt so much it almost wasn't worth it.

No. He has to be safe.

Magnus sat there for a few minutes, trying to sort through what had just happened. Then it occurred to Magnus; _what was Alec doing out at five in the morning? _Alone, no less. Magnus heaved his body off the ground, with some difficulty, and quickly snapped clothes onto his body. He speedily walked out the door, leaving reason behind him.

Magnus walked down the street, peeking around the corner Alec had turned. He walked carefully down the empty street, wracking his brain for a reason Alec would come here. Every house appeared to be empty; run down over time. Magnus had never been down this road before, so it was shocking to see how run down the neighborhood was. He saw lights flicker at the end of the street. As he got closer, he could hear music playing from the large house. Closer still, he heard screaming. Magnus stopped in his tracks as the music stopped. More screaming. People flooded out of the house with sheer terror in their eyes. Magnus broke into a run, sprinting towards the house, his heart beating furiously. He pushed his way through the panicked party-goers, fighting his way through the crowd into the house. Downworlders of all kinds pushed past him, forcing him backwards in fear. Magnus did a double take as a few demons sprinted past him, arm in arm with some vampires. _So this was _that _kind of party, _Magnus thought to himself. He personally hared demon parties and found them to be in poor taste. Magnus couldn't understand why anyone wanted to associate with demons in the first place, and that wasn't even including the demon pox you could so easily contract from them. He finally made it into the house, and his jaw dropped at the sight that beheld him.

Blood was everywhere, coating the floor and streaking the walls all around the room an up the stairs. There were bloody hand prints on the inside of the door, as if someone had been trying to escape before the door had been opened. There was broken furniture everywhere, strewn across the room in various crumpled piles.

_What had happened here? _

A few more people ran down the stairs, some naked, and ran into the streets screaming. Magnus went up the stairs with caution, moving aside as a few more people fled past him. Once he reached the the first door in the staircase, he gasped as he took in his surroundings.

The upper level was worse than the lower level. There was a huge fight going on in the second level of this blasted house. Vampires tore at each others throats while demons, in various shapes and sizes, ripped each other to pieces violently. Blood and bodies everywhere, occupying the entire space except for where the fighting was going on. Magnus stared open mouthed at the atrocity before him, unsure what to do next. He surveyed the fighters, searching for Alec amongst then. Worry creased his forehead as he began searching the dead that lay on the ground. He saw a man with black hair and clothing lying on his side, facing away from himself, covered in blood. Magnus darted towards him, dodging a few blows as he ran through the battlefield. He turned the man over to see it wasn't Alec, and relief washed through his body. Maybe Alec hadn't come here after all. Magnus, decidedly _not _taking part in this ridiculous fight, dove for the door, trying desperately not to engage any of the fighters. Magnus ducked through the doorway, finally away from the insanity going in in that room, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his arm, followed by his body being slammed into the stairs. Magnus turned toward his attacker, a vampire, and looked into her eyes with ferocity.

"You shouldn't have done that."

She bared her fangs in mockery and started towards him. Magnus snapped blue sparks into his hands, and the vampire stopped, frozen where she stood. She obviously hasn't realized what he was before she foolishly attacked him. Blood ran down Magnus's arm where she had cut him, and he stood slowly to his feet. She made a quiet whimpering noise and tried to flee down the stairs. Magnus stepped in her path, cornering her. He slowly walked towards her, forcing her to back into the wall. He was going to get some answers before she was leaving.

"What's going on here?" He demanded. Magnus could see fear plastered on her face.

"I-I don't know- I swear!"

Magnus clenched his fist and raised it to eye level, making sparks fly from between his fingers. He moved a step closer to her, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I swear! All I know is some shadowhunter came in and everybody started fighting!" She cowered into the corner, bracing herself for whatever pain she expected would come. Magnus stared at her in horror. Alec was here. Alec had caused this. Magnus, forgetting about the vampire girl completely, sprinted up the stairs to the final floor of the house. He tore the door open and launched himself into the room. There was a trail of blood leading from the doorway to the middle of the room, where there were a few demons crouched around something on the floor. One of the demons, red and slimy, turned its large head toward Magnus, smiling at him with a disturbing about of teeth.

"Are you here to join us?" It drawled. Smiling a lazy smile. Magnus caught a glimpse of black hair, matted with blood. The body was jostled slightly by one of the other demons, and Magnus saw a pair of vividly blue eyes that he would have recognized anywhere.

He sprung into action, shooting blue fire from his hands and launching it at the demons. He hurled spears and bolts of blue fire at them ferociously, barely able to think clearly. He struck on the the chest and it evaporated into ashes. The other two advanced on him, leaving Alec in a bloody mess on the floor. Magnus shook with fury, throwing everything he had at them with as much force as he could muster. He hit another one in the heart. It screamed in agony as it turned to ashes, disappearing before him. One more. The remaining demon lunged at Magnus, clawing at his chest like an animal. Magnus slammed his hands into the beasts head, boiling its skin, and crushed a blazing spear into his chest. The beast disappeared in his hands, leaving dust an ashes in it's place. Magnus threw himself toward Alec without a second thought.

"Alec- Alec can you hear me?" He shook the boy fiercely. Magnus's vision blurred as panic overtook him. Alec remained still as a brick in the floor. Magnus out his ear to Alec's chest, listening for a heartbeat. He felt Alec's chest rise ever so slightly as he took a shaky breath. Magnus's relief was momentary as he tore open Alec's already demolished shirt. His chest was marred with claw marks and and a stab wound. Magnus saw something green deep out of the whole in Alec's abdomen. _Shit. _There was demon poised in his system. Magnus gingerly lifted Alec from the floor and carried him out of the house, cradling him to his chest. Magnus knew he couldn't heal him on his own, the wounds were to severe. He needed help.

Magnus flew down the street, his legs moving faster than they ever had. _Not fast enough. _Magnus veered towards the road in search if a car. He chose the nearest car he could see, and ran towards it. He knocked out the window with his elbow, unlocking it and placing Alec in the back seat carefully. He started the car with magic and broke just about every mundane tragic law as he sped toward the institute. Magnus slammed on the breaks as he neared the institute, flinging his door open and carefully removing Alec from the car. Alec made a small whimpering noise when Magnus lifted him out if the car, causing Magnus to slow down a bit. He walked quickly up the steps of the institute and tried to open the door. It didn't budge.

"Dammit!" Magnus shouted in frustration. He had forgotten the institute doors only open for shadowhunters. Magnus kicked the door repeatedly, shouting as loud as he could for someone to open the door. When that didn't work he started using magic to create loud banging noises, not caring what the mundanes would think of it. He heard a commotion behind the door, and the institute doors flew open.

* * *

**So how did you guys like it? I tried to stay accurate to the book with the fighting, but it's hard because I'm obviously not Cassandra Clare. Also I'm sorry how long it took me to update, but it's really hard for me to write from Magnus's POV. I'm not sure why, but it's just really difficult. Hopefully I did him some sort of justice. But anyway, review and let me know what you think of this chapter! **


	5. Not Alec

**Hey guys! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who's been keeping up with this story. I was originally planning on making it closer to 20 chapters, but I think I might end up finishing it in the next few chapters. **

**Also, I don't want to be THAT person who complains about reviews, but I only got one for the last chapter. So PLEASE let me know what I'm doing wrong. Is the story getting worse or something? I don't know what the problem is. Anyway, let me know what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the spectacular characters I write about. They all belong to the absolutely grand Cassandra Clare. **

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

Isabelle felt like she was going to be sick. Alec's hair clung to his head, sticky and coated with blood. His shirt was ripped open, revealing his mutilated torso. There was some kind of green oozing substance coming from one of his wounds. Alec was almost unrecognizable, and Magnus's condition wasn't much better. His chest was marred with claw marks, blood dripping down his body on to Alec. Magnus had a thin layer of dust over his whole body, streaked along his face where he had presumably touched it.

Magnus lurched forward, nearly falling on Jace.

"We have to- we should-"

"WHAT THE HELL?" Jace interrupted in panic. He turned to Isabelle, silently asking her what to do. Isabelle started towards Magnus, grabbing his his arm and pulling him toward the infirmary. When Magnus winced, Isabelle let go and noticed a long, deep cut on his forearm. They moved quickly to the infirmary while Magnus silently carried Alec.

Once they reached the infirmary Magnus set Alec gently on one of the beds. Alec was still unconscious and he now had a steadily rising fever. Jace was being careful not to touch anyone, though Isabelle could tell it was nearly killing him not to.

"Call Mom," Isabelle told him. Jace thanked her with a nod and darted into the hallway. Magnus worked furiously over Alec's body, blue sparks eliciting from his fingers. Isabelle felt a tear slide down her cheek as she stared at Alec, who was fighting for breath as Magnus desperately attempted to bring life back into his eyes. Magnus swore in a language Isabelle didn't recognize. Sweat was slowly beading at his forehead while he worked.

"What can I do?" Isabelle was almost begging. Magnus clenched his jaw repeatedly, turning to Isabelle with pure terror in his eyes. It was frightening.

"I need help. I can't- there's demon poison in his system." Magnus told her desperately. "Can we get the silent brothers?" Magnus was almost pleading with her now. Isabelle's heart sank to the floor. If Magnus was scared, that meant this was really serious.

"My Mom," Isabelle gasped. "Jace is calling my Mom." Magnus stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "She can get them here," Isabelle shouted over her shoulder as she ran into the hallway in search of Jace. Isabelle ran through the corridor, faster than she knew she _could_, and found Jace near the door of the institute. He was shouting angrily into the phone, clenching his fist tightly at his side.

"BECAUSE I WASN'T THERE!" He shouted. Jace's whole body was trembling, whether it was with rage or fear- Isabelle couldn't tell. He leaned against the wall for support, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He glanced up at Isabelle and panic filled his expression. "Did something happen?" He demanded.

"Are you talking to Mom?" She asked, ignoring him.

"Yes."

"Tell her to get the silent brothers over here. _Now." _Isabelle's voice cracked.

Jace put the phone back to his ear.

* * *

Magnus worked furiously over Alec's unmoving body, stitching his skin back together with magic. Alec's injuries were more extensive than Magnus had originally thought, which worried him. He had already fixed a few broken bones, some requiring more energy than others, and he was now attempting to sew Alec's shredded arm back together. Magnus regretted not drawing out the demon's deaths when he had the chance. He thought of their filthy, savage faces as they invited him to join them on their vile acts. Magnus squeezed his eyes together tightly, expelling everything from his mind but Alec. He had to fix Alec, he _had to. _Magnus felt determination spark in the back of his mind.

_I can do this. _

_I can fix him. _

Magnus concentrated on the winding of Alex's muscles, willing them to find their way back to their original state. Magnus remembered the first time he had come here for Alec, when he had been injured saving Clary. Alec was brave, a fighter, he could make it. He had to.

Magnus blinked furiously as his vision began to blur. His chest heaved and he fought for breath. _Not Alec. _He winced slightly as his shirt caught on his his own pain, he began working again.

He heard footsteps approaching the infirmary.

"...I don't know, I wasn't there." Isabelle said. There was a long silence before she spoke again. "Magnus." Isabelle said his name like the answer to a question. He turned just in time to see Jem- Brother Zachariah, he corrected himself, enter the room with Isabelle trailing him. That explained the one sided conversation.

_Isabelle has informed me of the situation, _he told Magnus. _Have you found the source of the poison? _

"Yes, it's here," Magnus beckoned Brother Zachariah towards him and gestures to the stab wound in Alec's stomach. He examined it for a long moment before turning back to Magnus, his expression unreadable under his hood. Magnus braced himself.

* * *

Isabelle lost track of the conversation as it went on, pain ripping through her like a sharp knife. They had to save Alec. They _had to. _Isabelle stared at Magnus and Brother Zachariah who were fiercely engaged in a desperate conversation.

"I was worried about that." Magnus said tightly. He waited while Brother Zachariah spoke into his mind.

"We can't do that and you know it," Magnus seethed. His expression slowly crumbled while he listened to Brother Zachariah. Isabelle couldn't stand not being able to hear what he was saying. "I know," Magnus said in defeat. He looked like he was about to break down. Isabelle knew there was nothing she could do, but that didn't stop her from wanting to help. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She held back her tears as she walked into the hallway, looking for Jace. Someone cleared their throat behind her, and she swiveled around to see Jace standing in the corner, just out of sight if you were in the infirmary. She ran toward him, throwing her arms around him with a sob. He held her tightly, crushing her to his body with an almost painful amount of pressure. Isabelle felt his body shake ever so slightly and knew he felt the same way she did.

"I-I don't know what to do," She stuttered, tears streaming down her face onto Jace's shirt. Jace remained silent, squeezing her a little bit tighter as his response. They stood there like that for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything.

"Isabelle," Magnus called from the infirmary, not raising his voice at all. He must have known she was out here. Isabelle let go of Jace and entered the infirmary. She heard Jace follow.

Magnus looked at her with anguish. "Will you," he hesitated, "hold his hand while we do this?"

Isabelle didn't ask what they were doing, and instead walked immediately to Alec's beside, gripping his hand firmly. Magnus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He placed his hand inches above the rune that Brother Zachariah had apparently drawn on him while Isabelle was in the hall, and began.

* * *

Jace stared at Alec in horror. _What are they doing to him?_ Jace watched as blue mist slowly crept into Alec's body. Jace had been listening from the hallway the entire time after he got off the phone with Maryse. He knew what was happening well enough to know what they were doing. They were burning the poison out. Jace shuddered at the thought. Magnus had made sure Alec was unconscious about four times before he began. Jace wanted to be angry at Magnus for breaking up with Alec and making him do this, but he knew that wasn't fair. Alec had hurt Magnus just as badly as Magnus had hurt Alec. It wasn't fair to blame Magnus for Alec's insane actions. And it wasn't like Magnus wasn't already completely blaming himself anyway. Jace could see the guilt and regret on Magnus's face the moment he had opened the institute door. Magnus was hurting. And he was obviously still in love with Alec, that much was plain to everyone. Magnus hadn't once acknowledged the fact that he looked like he just got in a fight with a lion and _lost. _He was too concerned with Alec's well being to care about himself.

Jace tried not to look as Magnus boiled and burned the poison out of Alec's wound. He couldn't stop himself from hearing the horrible sizzling noises though. He tried to clear his mind as he waited for Magnus to finish. He thought of the day he asked Alec to be his parabatai…

"_I could beat you with my eyes closed!" shouted Jace. He grinned as Alec lunged at him, smiling back just as broadly. Alec landed on top of him, and Jace quickly shoved his knee into Alec's stomach, earning a groan. Alec countered with a knee of his own, hitting Jace square in the chest, forcing him backward. Jace recovered quickly, throwing himself at Alec with as much force as he could muster, knocking him to the ground. Alec slid toward him and caught Jace's ankles between his own, twisting his body until Jace fell over. Alec jumped on top of Jace, and pulled a dagger from his boot, holding it to Jace's throat. _

"_I win," Alec said in shock. Jace smiled, and tossed Alec off him, muttering to himself. Alec's cheeks looked like they would rip if he smiled any bigger. Jace stared at him for a moment, contemplating. Alec looked uncomfortable. "What?" he asked defensively._

"_Do you want to be my parabatai?" Jace asked suddenly. Alec's jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes doubled in size. "Well, do you?" Jace asked again, after Alec didn't respond. _

"_Of course," Alec told him, the shock not quite gone from his features. _

_Jace smiled. "Good. Let's go again."_

Jace smiled at the memory, glad to have something distract him. He got up and paced around the room nervously. Maryse had entered while he wasn't paying attention, and now sat on the bed next to Alec's, crying silently. Jace felt his chest constrict painfully. No matter what had happened in the past few months, he still loved Maryse. And he knew that she was going through the same pain as all of them. Just as he was about to go to her, Magnus stilled. He gently set his hand on Alec's cheek, closing his eyes tightly. The room was still, not a breath interrupting the silence. Finally Magnus turned towards everyone one in the room.

"Get out."

Jace, remembering that Magnus had also done this last time he healed Alec, and quickly ushered Maryse and Isabelle out into the hall. Jace looked back to see Brother Zachariah pointing to something on Alec's body, while Magnus spoke quietly but passionately in response. Jace closed the door, leaving Alec in Magnus's -hopefully- capable hands.

* * *

**Okay, what do you guys think? I honestly take your reviews into account while I write the next chapter, so feel free to tell me what you liked, didn't like, and what you would like to see. Thanks :) **

**P. S. **

**Also let me know how you feel about it length wise. Like, should I make 15 MORE chapters? Or like 3 more? Thanks guys. :)**


	6. Love Will Remember

**Hey guys! Okay some of the reviews have confused me a little.. Am I not being clear enough about what's wrong with Alec? If not, I'm sorry, and I tried to correct that in this chapter. Anyway, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! Oh my god, I literally cannot even describe the amount of squealing that goes on while I read them. Seriously. It means SO MUCH to me that you guys all read this story! SO THANK YOU 3**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these glorious characters. They belong to the INSANELY TALENTED Cassandra Clare, who I am exceedingly jealous of. :)**

* * *

Hours had passed since Magnus had kicked everyone out of the infirmary. Brother Zachariah and Magnus were both still sealed inside the infirmary, and had made no attempts to leave as of now. Jace was growing restless while he waited for them to finish working on Alec. The longer he waited on this side of the door, the more anxious and fearful he grew of what was happening on the other side of it. Robert had arrive with Luke, Jocelyn, and Clary a little while after Magnus had kicked them out. Maryse had fallen asleep against Isabelle, who looked close to sleep herself. Jocelyn and Clary were in a similar state. Jace couldn't blame them, but he couldn't join them either. Every fiber of his body ached with fear and guilt. Maybe if he would have pushed Alec, _forced him _not to go out alone, this wouldn't have happened. Alec was his parabatai, his brother. How could he not have known what Alec had been doing?

Jace walked quietly out of the hallway, breathing heavily as he entered the mainroom of the institute, where Robert and Luke were engaged in a heated discussion. Jace wavered at the threshold, unsure whether or not to interrupt them.

"You don't know what happened, Robert. You can't jump to conclusions like that without knowing the whole story." Luke said calmly. Jace could hear a bit of defensiveness in his voice. He moved behind the door frame, just out of sight.

"That's exactly my point! _We don't know what happened._" Robert seethed. "You can't expect me to believe the warlock had nothing to do with it, Lucian. I knew - I _knew_ something like this would happen if Alec continued with him!" Jace heard Luke's sharp intake of breath. _They don't know,_ Jace realized. They had all been in Idris dealing with Clave politics the past week. They didn't know Magnus had broken up with Alec a few days ago. They didn't know about the solo demon fights Alec had been so recklessly partaking in. They had no idea what had happened to Alec. But then, neither did Jace, not _really. _He could guess, but he never found a reason for Magnus to have discovered him.

Jace stepped into view, clearing his throat to get their attention.

"It was Alec."

Robert's head snapped up, his eyes boring into Jace's with a mixture of anger and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Jace fought the nervousness that crept into his stomach, tying it in knots. "You would have had to know eventually. Alec and Magnus broke up."

Robert was silent for a moment, comprehending what Jace had told him. Finally he spoke. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's most likely Alec's own fault that this happened. He's been going out alone every night, attempting to take on demons that we wouldn't mess with even when all three of us were going. He comes home looking like absolute hell, and looks happier the worse he fairs!" Jace's voice steadily climbed an octave, cracking on the last word.

Robert stared at Jace with a horrified expression, while Luke's face remained unreadable. Jace looked at them both for a moment, deciding it may not have been a good idea to tell them this specific information. No, it would have come out eventually. Robert is Alec's dad, he should know what the hell is going on with his son; but that didn't mean he was going to let Robert be an ass to the one person Alec loved most.

"Magnus feels guilty enough _without_ you adding your two cents, so don't go running off pointing fingers or you'll find them planted firmly up your ass." With that, Jace left the room.

* * *

"There has to be something else we can do," Magnus pleaded. He stared at Brother Zachariah with pleading eyes, begging for something he knew was impossible.

_We've done all we can, _Brother Zachariah told him. _He will be fine, Magnus. _

"That's not good enough!" Magnus snapped. He sat on the edge of Alec's bed inhaling shakily. "We have to fix him- we have to…" Magnus trailed off, his head dropping into his hands in defeat. He knew Brother Zachariah was right. The poison in Alec's veins would have to run its course before Alec was completely healed, and there was no way to speed up the process, no matter how desperately he wanted to.

Brother Zachariah sat on the bed next to Magnus. _He is going to live. That is what we all hoped for, and that is what we've accomplished. _He paused for a moment, turning his face toward Magnus. _Alec is going to be okay. You saved him, Magnus. Life is the most worthy gift you can give, and that is what you've given him. _

Magnus looked at his scarred face, remembering the boy that used to live there. Maybe being a Silent Brother doesn't change you so much after all. Magnus nodded to him, biting his lip and turning to face Alec. He looked serene, like he was just resting rather than being held unconscious by magic. Alec always looked beautiful while he slept.

_Should I go to the family? _Brother Zachariah asked.

Magnus nodded again, his heart beating furiously in his chest. This was it. He had to go.

He looked across the room at Brother Zachariah, who was moving at an unnecessarily slow pace, giving Magnus time to say goodbye. Magnus turned toward Alec again, moving closer toward his face, brushing his wild hair from his face gently. Magnus leaned down and kissed him, one last time, a single tear slipping from his eye. He moved his mouth to Alec's ear, whispering his final goodbye.

"I love you, Alexander."

* * *

Isabelle sprung to her feet when she heard the door open. Brother Zachariah emerged from the infirmary, gesturing toward the door, an invitation to enter.

Everyone scrambled to their feet and scampered to the door. Clary walked up to Isabelle, linking her arm through Isabelle's comfortingly as they entered. Maryse darted toward the head of Alec's bed, taking his hand into her own and caressing it lightly. She bent down and kissed his forehead gently. Isabelle and Clary walked together to the other side of the bed. Isabelle saw someone slip out the door, obviously trying to be discrete. Brother Zachariah approached Maryse before she had time to consider it. Isabelle approached Alec's bed with caution, but was surprised at what she saw. Alec looked perfect. His face and hair had been wiped completely clean of blood, along with his torso, which was now bare. He looked completely healed besides a small bandage on his ribcage.

Maryse turned to Brother Zachariah and listened, sighing in relief when he finished speaking to her.

"Brother Zachariah said he's going to be fine. He has some kind of demon poison infection in him that has to run its course, but after that he'll be completely back to normal." Maryse said. Everyone in the room audibly sighed in relief. Clary squeezed Isabelle's arm, smiling at her with genuine relief. Clary turned to Brother Zachariah, "Do you know when he'll be awake?"

"He already is," Alec mumbled. Isabelle spun around in shock. "Alec!" she exclaimed. She pulled her arm from Clary's and hugged him fiercely. He laughed quietly and carefully placed his arms around her. Isabelle pulled back a few inches, her expression changing dramatically.

"What the hell, Alec?" she demanded.

"It seems like you've been saying that to me a lot recently," Alec muttered. His cheeks were slowly turning red as he took in the scene around him. He obviously hadn't realized there were this many people here.

"With good reason," she countered. "You can't do things like that, Alec. You almost _died."_

"I'm sorry." He told her quietly. He sat up slowly, wincing as he reached an upright position.

Jocelyn and Clary told Alec how glad they were that he was alive, Clary had tears in her eyes. Isabelle smiled at that; she was glad Clary and Alec had grown on each other.

"I'm going to go get the boys… before Jace breaks anything else." Clary announced from the doorway. She left before anyone could respond, sprinting down the hallway like a bat out of hell. Isabelle stared after her, wondering where indeed Jace had been the past hour.

Alec wasn't really talking, but rather appeared to be deep in thought. His brow furrowed in confusion as he concentrated.

Maryse sat on the end of Alec's bed, quietly discussing the extent of Alec's poisoned blood with Brother Zachariah. Isabelle sat next to Alec, pulling her knees up to her chin. "What happened?" Alec asked her seriously. Isabelle stared at him, mouth agape, in pure astonishment.

"What do you mean?"

"How did I get here?" he asked. Isabelle stared at him. Was he joking? Surely he knew Magnus had brought him here.

"Magnus showed up at the door with you in his arms… I don't know anything more than that. I was hoping you would be able to elaborate." she said. Alec's forehead creased and he ran his hand through his tangled hair in confusion. Alec scoured the room, presumably looking for Magnus. "He was here a minute ago," she told him, answering his unasked question. Maryse glanced at Alec's panicked expression and her eyes widened.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, looking ready to pounce into action at a moments notice. Alec tried desperately to smooth his expression. He nodded, smiling slightly. Maryse nodded and delved back into her conversation with Zachariah. Isabelle decided to save her questions for later.

Jace came storming into the room, with Luke and Robert trailing close behind him. When he saw Alec, his expression cleared completely into a wide grin. He leaped into the bed, landing Right in front of Isabelle's legs, and hugged Alec tightly.

"Dammit, Alec! This car chasing habit of yours is starting to get dangerous!" Jace teased. Isabelle could see the questions burning behind his eyes, but he had apparently also deemed them to be for a later time. Alec smiled apologetically at Jace. Robert approached Alec's bed and leaned over Jace to embrace his son. He held Alec there for a moment, squeezing hard before letting him go. He didn't need to say anything, his face said it all. He was very thankful not to lose another child. He turned to Brother Zachariah and offered his thanks. His expression morphed into confusion as Zachariah spoke to him silently.

"Where did he go?" Robert asked. He paused for Brother Zachariah's response. "Well why-"

Jace gave Robert a look that silenced him immediately. Alec looked like he was going to be sick.

"Alright, everyone out!" Isabelle shouted. "Alec needs to sleep, people."

There was a lot of muttering, but everyone obeyed Isabelle. Even Maryse and Robert. Isabelle leaned toward Alec, and whispered, "I will be back in ten minutes."

* * *

Alec stared after Isabelle as she, and everyone else, exited the infirmary. _What the hell was he going to tell her? _He thought of nothing. The truth? Maybe. He shook his head furiously, unable to imagine her reaction to how stupid he had been. Images of the party flashed before his eyes. _pain. _He shuddered, forcing the memories from his mind. All he could think about was Magnus.

_Magnus had saved him. _

How? Why? Where had he gone now? Alec's mind was whirling. He remembered something faintly. Something… someone had said to him… Magnus. Magnus had told him something…

Alec touched his lips, the memory coming back like wild fire, burning every surface of his body in just moments. Magnus had kissed him. His eyes had been closed, but he heard what Magnus had said. The words came bubbling to the forefront of his mind, searing through his mind.

"_I love you, Alexander."_

* * *

**Okay, what do you guys think? Please review and let me know if you liked it or not! Your reviews really matter to me, I swear! :)**

**And don't be afraid to tell me if you don't like something. I really want your honest feedback! :) Thanks for reading! **


	7. I Don't Want To Break Your Heart

**Hey guys! Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! They mean SO MUCH to me, seriously. I can't even tell you how thankful I am that you all are still reading my story! :) I love you all 3**

**For this chapter it would be helpful if you have already read Cassandra Clare's short story "Kissed". It's on her website, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you read it before reading this chapter. It's not that long, and it's SUPER full of adorable Malec moments! :) It's not really completely necessary to understand it, it would just help with a few of the references. It's one of my favorite things Cassandra Clare has written, so I would suggest it either way ;)**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and will not ever own any of these characters. They all belong to the amazingly talented Cassandra Clare. **

**Yes, I do cry about it every night. **

* * *

Magnus stormed toward his apartment, wrenching the door open roughly with his magic, accidentally breaking it off its hinges. Great. Magnus took a deep breath, gritting his teeth in frustration. It was always hard to control his magic when he got like this. He heard glass shatter as he passed the kitchen. Clenching his fists, he walked back to the living room. There were way too many valuable items in his room to risk going in there right now. Magnus collapsed onto the couch, rubbing his makeup free eyes roughly, trying to sort through his jumbled emotions. Why had Alec done this? Hadn't he thought through the consequences of his decision? Magnus's breathing sped up, his heart beating furiously in his chest. Did Alec have no regards for the people that loved him? Magnus heard something crack a few feet away from him. Alec has never been an idiot, so there has to be a reason for what he had been doing. Magnus thought about all the new scars he had seen on Alec's body while he healed him. He had definitely been on more than one reckless hunt recently. The question was _why. _

Magnus remembered all the times Alec had told him how stupidly reckless Jace was, how he put his life on the line without a second thought. It wasn't like Alec to do this. Alec wouldn't. Unless... It was because of him. Unless it was Alec's way of coping with the breakup. The thought knocked the air out of his lungs.

_He might do it again_, Magnus's mind taunted him. Magnus stopped breathing. No. _No. _Alec would _not _do this again, Magnus wouldn't let that happen. Alec didn't have the right to throw his life away, no matter what reason he thought he had. Magnus drifted to sleep with that promise weighing on his mind, dreaming, as always, of a beautiful, blue eyed Shadowhunter.

* * *

Alec opened his eyes groggily, staring at the ceiling in confusion. He looked around the room, searching for a familiar face, but found no one. He slowly sat up, gasping at the pain in his side, and gently pressed his hand to his wound. He could feel the hole in his flesh through the bandages. That must've been where he had been stabbed. Alec checked his arms and torso for wounds and was surprised when he found none. Had Magnus really done this? He stared at all the new scars on his chest, running his fingers over them lightly. They barely even stuck out. Alec sucked in a deep breath, wincing from the pain in his side. As far as he could tell, that was his only remaining injury. He had overheard Maryse telling the others it was demon poison, which was not a bright prospect.

Isabelle hadn't come back in ten minutes like she said she would. Alec was somewhat relieved; at least he didn't have to talk about what had happened yet. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Alec swung his legs over the side of the bed, gritting his teeth to stop himself from crying out, and slowly lifted himself off the bed. The floor was cold, sending chills up his spine as he walked across the room. He quietly pushed open the door and made his way down the hall. The institute was silent. He wondered how long it had actually been since he had fallen asleep. He peeked in the kitchen to check the time: 2:55 am. That explained why he couldn't find anyone. Alec's wound throbbed as he entered his bedroom. He gripped it tightly, trying to ease the pain with the pressure. With difficulty, He managed to pull on a t-shirt. Alec looked at a pair of jeans lying at the end if his bed. There was no way that was happening. Alec slipped his feet into a pair of boots, leaving them untied, and headed for the door.

Alec walked mindlessly out of the institute. His mind screamed at him to turn around, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He knew where he was going; he just didn't completely understand why. He approached Magnus's building with a sense of familiarity. He stared at the familiar patterns of the brick, mesmerized by how a little thing like the look of a building could make his mind whirl. He stood nervously for a moment, hesitant to ring the buzzer. _If you don't do it now, you never will. _Alec took a deep, painful breath and walked towards the door. It was open. Alec entered gratefully, glad to be spared of the awkwardness that would surely have ensued had he buzzed the buzzer. He climbed the stairs slowly, trying to sort through what he was going to say to Magnus. When he reached the top step, he still hasn't decided. He crept toward Magnus's door, preparing to have the door slammed in his face. He shouldn't have come. Magnus had left the institute for a reason, and he should have realized that earlier. Before he turned around he noticed that there was no longer a door to Magnus's apartment; it appeared to have been ripped off. Alec's heart skipped a beat as he peeked his head inside the apartment. Magnus was sleeping peacefully on the couch, seemingly in a deep sleep. Alec's heart climbed into his throat, constricting his breathing for all the right reasons. He took a few steps toward Magnus, unable to stop himself, and stared at the gorgeous warlocks face. Alec silently cursed himself for coming. He knew he was just making it worse for himself. Alec slowly backed towards the door, unable to tear his eyes away from Magnus, and collided into the coffee table behind him, sending the table and the items in the table to the floor with a crash. Alec stumbled over the table, cursing loudly as he fell to the floor. His wound was throbbing fiercely, causing his vision to blur from the pain. Magnus shot up from the couch, snapping his eyes toward Alec in shock.

"What the hell?" Magnus sounded genuinely confused.

Alec stared at Magnus with horror. He couldn't move. He tried to form a coherent sentence in his mind, but failed. How was he supposed to find a way to explain what he was doing in Magnus's house in the middle of the night?

"Alec?" Magnus asked, his eyes widening in recognition. "What are you doing here?"

Alec felt his stomach drop to the floor in terror. There was no getting out of this now. He tried to push himself to his feet, but fell back onto the floor with a thud. Magnus darted toward him, pulling him gently from the ground and helping him to the couch. Alec wanted to push him off, tell him he could do it by himself, but the feeling of Magnus's warm hand on his back held his words at bay. He shivered from the intimacy of the touch, and Magnus immediately removed his hand.

"Did you _walk _here?" Magnus demanded, his eyes gleaming with anger.

"Yes…"

"Alec, it's freezing outside." Magnus's voice was flat, despite the anger boiling in his features. Alec stared at him with confusion. Magnus narrowed his eyes and put his hand on Alec's forehead. "Dammit."

Magnus walked stiffly out of the room, returning with a small vial. He held it out to Alec. Alec drank it without hesitation, looking up awkwardly at Magnus when he finished. Magnus collapsed into the chair opposite Alec, a defeated expression on his face. "Why are you here, Alec?" He dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes lazily.

"You saved me," Alec stated. _And because I love you, _Alec wanted to say. There was so much he wanted to say, but, as usual, he couldn't find the words. Alec's heart beat furiously in his chest. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and bit his lip nervously. Magnus looked up sharply.

"Yes, Alec, I did." Magnus's said tightly. "But I shouldn't have had to." Alec stared at him silently, fearful of where the conversation was headed. Magnus's mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowed in anger. "What in god's name were you thinking?"

"I- I wasn't… It wasn't-"

"No," Magnus cut him off, " This is not something you can justify, Alexander." Magnus spoke his name like a slap to the face.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to somehow deflect the questions away from himself.

"_What," _ Magnus seethed, "_am I talking about?" _Magnus looked like he was about to explode. "I am talking about how you ran into the middle of a demon infested party and started a fight for no reason other than to be reckless. I am talking about how I had to drag your nearly dead body back to the institute so you wouldn't _die, _and spend hours healing you with Brother Zachariah. _That, _is what I'm talking about." Magnus was on the verge of shouting. Alec cringed into the back of the couch, wincing as he bent over too far, causing his wound to ache. He pressed his hand to it tightly, trying to relieve some of the pain. Magnus had gotten up and begun pacing across the room.

"I wasn't trying to be reckless." Alec told him. _I was trying to forget._

Magnus turned to him with disdain. "Then what were you trying to accomplish, Alec? Were you trying to have some _fun?"_

"No! That's not-"

"Because if that's your idea of fun, you've got some real problems."

"Magnus, you know that's not-"

Magnus continued as if Alec hadn't spoken. "Or maybe you were just trying to prove-"

"I was trying to forget! Okay?" Alec shouted. That silenced Magnus. "When I'm fighting, I can forget. I can forget about everything. I can forget what it felt like when you kissed me that first time, or when you told me you loved me in Idris. I can forget how exhilarating it was to kiss you in front of the whole clave, how it changed me. I can forget about _you. _I have to forget, because how am I supposed to look at the man I love, and tell myself it's time to move on?" Alec looked away from Magnus, trying desperately to compose himself. When he looked back at Magnus, he instantly regretted saying what he said.

Magnus's eyes were wide, his mouth open slightly. Magnus blinked a few times before turning his head. Alec remembered what Magnus had said and done in the institute infirmary when he had thought Alec was asleep. Magnus loved him, and he clearly loved Magnus. Alec's stomach twisted into a painful knot when he remembered why they were having this conversation at all. Camille. Alec had wanted to blame her for his mistake _so badly, _but he knew he couldn't. He had made the decision to believe her. Whether or not he had actually gone through with his foolish plan to take Magnus's immortality away, he had considered it. And in Magnus's mind, that was just as bad.

"Alec…"

"I know I ruined it. I know that. And I'm so, so sorry." Alec's voice was shaky. "I know that doesn't mean anything, but it's true."

"It doesn't mean nothing," Magnus told him roughly.

"But it doesn't mean _enough._" Alec fought for his voice. "You told me once that there wouldn't be a next time for you, that we were it for you. Well, I'm telling you that that's true for me too. I'm not going to get over you, Magnus Bane. No matter how hard I try. I don't think I even want to."

Magnus regarded him with misty eyes. Alec cursed himself inwardly. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Magnus, he had already done that well enough. Magnus stared at him for a moment, his expression completely unreadable.

"Alec… there are things I haven't told you. Other reasons we can't be together besides you conspiring with Camille." Magnus looked like he was fighting the urge to say something else. "It would never work." he said finally.

"But we could _make_ it work." Alec told him adamantly. "I know we could."

Magnus moved toward Alec, sliding on to the couch next to him. "I don't want to break your heart." He said quietly.

Alec took his hands, grasping them tightly in his own, "You won't."

Magnus pulled his hands out of Alec's and looked away. Alec's heart sank. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Magnus didn't feel the same way. Maybe when he had said 'I love you' in the infirmary, it was simply out of fear that he would never see him again. Maybe he didn't-

Alec's train of thought was interrupted by Magnus lips pressing his own. Magnus's hands were soft against against his face, holding him like he would shatter into pieces at any given moment. Alec froze. Magnus was kissing him. _Magnus was kissing him. _His heart swelled as he slid one of his hands under Magnus's arm, grasping his forearm tightly. Magnus wanted him. Alec smiled against Magnus's mouth, pulling their bodies closer together with his free arm.

Everything was going to be okay.

Magnus wanted him.

Alec knew everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Magnus belonged with him, and he with Magnus. Everything felt _right. _

Magnus pulled his head a few inches away from Alec, grinning at him wickedly. "Your family is going to kill you when they realize you're gone."

"I don't care," Alec said, pulling Magnus back into a passionate kiss.

* * *

**Magnus and Alec are actually HAPPY for once at the end of one of my chapters! I know, it's crazy ;) **

**So how did you guys like it? Review and let me know what you think! **


	8. Be Safe

**Hey guys! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I cannot express how much joy they bring me on a daily basis. I literally reread them sometimes… Seriously though, it means so much to me that you guys are sticking around and reading my story! 3**

**Also, I just finished reading the newest installment of the Bane Chronicles, and OH MY GOD it's SO cute! I can't even breathe. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest that you go and do that! There are a ridiculous amount of Malec feels! I think I'm going to put a few things from it in this chapter, so, if you read it you'll catch what I'm talking about. But don't worry, I'm not going to make it impossible to understand if you haven't. It's just so cute I can't help it! **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, or really, anything. It all belongs to Cassandra Clare. *Sobs* Not me. **

* * *

Isabelle rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom. It had been way too long since she had experienced the joys of a long, hot shower. When she finished showering and getting ready for the day, she headed toward the infirmary to talk to Alec. She quietly pushed the door open, expecting him to be asleep, and crept toward his bed. Isabelle froze in her tracks. Alec was gone. She whipped out her phone to call him and found a text waiting to be read. It was from Alec.

_**At Magnus's. Don't wait up. **_

Isabelle's eyes went so wide she thought they would fall out of their sockets. Don't wait up? Isabelle felt a smile creep across her face. Alec was at Magnus's. She checked the time Alec had sent the text. 4:00 AM.

"Oh my god." Isabelle said to herself, her phone nearly falling out of her hand. She turned and sprinted out the door for Jace's room. She didn't bother knocking, throwing the door open with an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm. Isabelle hurled herself on to Jace's bed, landing almost completely on top of him.

"JACE," she shouted in his ear. Jace rolled over and covered his head with his pillow.

"We aren't five year olds anymore, Iz. This is no longer acceptable behavior." Jace mumbled into his pillow.

"It's about Alec," Isabelle told him. She knew he would get up for Alec. Jace ripped the pillow off his head, bolting straight up, his eyes blazing through the dark into Isabelle's.

"What happened?" Jace asked worriedly.

"Well," Isabelle drawled, "I went to the infirmary this morning to check on Alec, and what did I find? No Alec." Jace stared at her in confusion as she fought a smile. "Being the loving sister that I am, I panicked."

"And...?"

"_And _I found a text on my phone from him." Isabelle couldn't contain her smile any longer. She pulled out her phone and read it to him. Jace's jaw dropped.

"Is he okay?" Jace asked.

"Jace, he just spent the night at his ex boyfriends house. I'm sure he's more than okay." Isabelle told him, raising her eyebrows suggestively. A small smile crept across Jace's face.

"Do you think they're back together?" Jace asked, excitement peeking through his voice.

"I'm not sure, but I doubt it will be hard to get that small bit of information out of him."

"Yeah, probably not." Isabelle scooted off of Jace so he could get up and sprawled herself out on his bed. Jace grabbed some clothes and headed for the shower. Isabelle sighed to herself with happiness. _Alec is with Magnus. _She thought about the hell Alec had been going through the past few days without Magnus. It wasn't a pretty thing to remember. Magnus had probably seen all the new scars on Alecs body when he had been healing him, so he most likely knew at least some of what had happened the past week. But... If they were back together, it was over. Everything would be okay. Isabelle smiled, letting all her negative thoughts slip away.

Everything will be okay.

* * *

Alec peeled his eyes open, still smiling from last nights events. Magnus's head was resting gently on his chest, carefully placed so he wouldn't bump Alec's injury. His wound throbbed lightly, but he didn't care. His arm was draped over Magnus shoulders, holding him close. Alec couldn't believe it; Magnus wanted him. Magnus forgave him.

_Magnus loved him. _

Images from last night flashed in Alec's mind; The passion filled kisses, the whispered apologies, the declarations of love that had filled the air surrounding them. Alec shivered from the memory of what had happened next.

Alec debated whether or not he should text Izzy again. She was probably wondering what was going on. He reached over to the nightstand carefully, not wanting to disturb Magnus's peaceful slumber. He had a text from Isabelle.

_**Be safe ;)**_

Alec felt his face flush a deep scarlet color. Well, at least that was one less thing he was going to have to explain to her. Alec set his phone down and closed his eyes. There was no way he was responding to that text. Alec felt a pair of warm fingers moving along his stomach, tracing invisible patterns into his skin. They crept down to the waistband of Alec's sweatpants, tempting him thoroughly before they moved upward, brushing just underneath his ribcage, a little above his stab wound. Magnus must have felt him tense up, because his hand was gone immediately. Alec opened his eyes, frowning at the loss, and began playing absently with Magnus's hair. He loved when Magnus's hair was down like this. Magnus sighed happily and pressed his lips to Alec's chest. He turned and looked up lovingly into Alec's eyes.

"Who was that?" Magnus asked, thumbing Alec's bracelet tenderly. Alec blushed softly. He didn't realize Magnus had noticed the bracelet. He hadn't taken it off since he had first taken it from Magnus's house, the night Magnus had ended their relationship. Alec ran his fingers through Magnus's silky hair, letting it fall back onto his head with a frown.

"Isabelle," he replied with distaste. Magnus laughed softly, guessing the main course of the conversation. "I'm going to go make some coffee." Alec said indignantly.

Magnus laughed louder and rolled off of Alec, pulling the sheets over his head. Alec slid off the bed and trudged toward the kitchen. The coffee maker was still sitting on the counter. Alec smiled to himself. Magnus had bought him the coffee maker when they had first started seeing each other because Alec had been so vocal against Magnus stealing coffee from the shop down the road.

Alec grabbed the coffee container out of the cabinet and filled the pitcher with water. His vision began to blur. He shook his head furiously, attempting to clear it, and tried to find a filter. Pain rippled through his torso sharply, knocking the breath from his lungs. His knees started shaking and he clenched the counter for support.

"Magnus," he called out as he collapse to the floor. Magnus's face was the last thing he saw before the world went black.

* * *

Magnus pressed his fingers to Alec's throat and cheek, testing his body temperature. He was burning up. He picked up Alec's unconscious body and brought him back to the bedroom quickly. Magnus could feel heat exuding from Alec's bare chest into his own. He swore to himself. How had he not noticed earlier? He laid Alec on the bed gently and brought his temperature down with a magic. He peeled the bandage off Alec's wound carefully, gasping at what he saw.

Blood was pouring from the wound at an alarming rate. Magnus pressed his hand to the wound, suppressing the blood as much as he could at the moment. Alec began shaking violently, his breathing turning to gasps. Magnus pressed his chest firmly against the bed, one hand still trying to suppress the blood that poured from his body. Alec's shaking slowly turned to shivering, and Magnus released his chest, focusing solely on his bloody wound. _Dammit. _

* * *

Isabelle left the training room in a huff. She was tired of being kicked out of the training room so Jace and Clary could "practice". Yeah, _that's _what they were doing. It was getting increasingly hard to stay at the institute all day. Everyone was still a little on edge because of the whole Alec thing, which didn't help at all when there were arguments. Isabelle couldn't _really _be upset though, not with how happy Alec was. And Jace. Come to think of it, she was the only Lightwood who _wasn't_ in a relationship. Well, an official one. Isabelle knew she had to talk to Simon about it, like Clary had suggested, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up. How do you tell someone how you feel about them, not knowing if they feel the same way? How do people put their hearts on the line like that?

Isabelle felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Magnus's name lit up across the screen. _What in the angels name…_

"Hello?"

"Isabelle. As you know, Alec is currently at my home." Magnus's voice was shaky.

"Yes…"

"I need you to contact Brother Zachariah again for me."

"What happened?" Isabelle asked.

"He had some sort of seizure this morning, and his wound started bleeding for no apparent reason. Brother Zachariah said something about it to me, but I need to make sure I'm right." The words were tumbling out of Magnus's mouth. He had never been one to babble, which worried Isabelle.

"I'll have him meet us at your place." Isabelle hung up the phone, not giving Magnus a chance to argue, and ran toward the door of the institute. She didn't want to involve more people than necessary, so she went straight to the Silent City to get Brother Zachariah herself.

* * *

Magnus paced the room nervously, watching Alec closely. It seemed like he had been _fine _just a moment ago. Alec's eyelids fluttered as he slowly came to consciousness. Magnus rushed toward him, cupping his hands in his face.

"What happened?" Alec asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me that." Magnus replied. Alec bit his lip, wincing as he pulled himself into an upright position. He grunted quietly as he came to his senses, gritting his teeth in pain. Magnus put his hand's on Alec's chest, magically easing some of his pain. Alec's features softened, and he leaned into Magnus's touch.

"Isabelle is bringing Brother Zachariah here," Magnus said. Alec nodded, pulling Magnus toward him. Magnus complied, climbing into the bed beside Alec. Alec leaned against him and intertwined their fingers. Magnus smiled at that. Alec always knew how to make him feel better, whether he knew it or not. They stayed like that for a while, forgetting about everything in the world but each other. Alec was the first to break the silence.

"I stole that green shirt, you know."

"What shirt?" Magnus asked.

"Remember when you dressed me up and did my hair that one time? _That_ shirt."

"Well, I'm flattered you kept it." Magnus told him. His eyes danced with amusement at the memory. That had been a good day. He had tried to convince Alec to allow a makeover for a long time, and he had been overjoyed when Alec finally said yes. The ordeal had only taken an hour or two, but Alec had managed to complain the _entire time. _When Magnus finally finished, Alec swore he would never let Magnus dress him up again. Magnus believed him.

Alec turned to Magnus, looking up at him with an unreadable expression.

"I love you," he said. Magnus stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to remember what he had done to deserve this boy. Magnus put his hand on the shadowhunters face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He broke the kiss only for a moment to whisper, "I love you, Alexander." Magnus felt Alec's hand move lightly to his leg, sending chills up his spine. Alec's mouth on his was like magic, the kind he didn't have access to. The kind only came once in your life, if you were lucky. Alec was like a star, blazing brightly through Magnus's life in a way no one had before him. Every moment was more precious than the last; every touch, a new experience. Magnus felt his chest swell. There would never be another Alec Lightwood.

Magnus kissed Alec fervently, barely leaving time to come up for air. Alec didn't seem to mind, though. They pressed their bodies close to each over, tangling their limbs together. Alec gasped for air as Magnus moved his lips down to Alec's throat, then slowly back to his mouth.

"I hope we aren't interrupting," said a sarcastic voice at the door.

* * *

**I know not a lot happened in this chapter, but I'm hoping it's still acceptable. I had more planned, but it was getting way longer than the previous chapters, so I split it into two. Hopefully no one wants to murder me! **

**Also I was thinking about adding a little SIZZY in here, but I'm not sure since it IS a Malec fanfic. I'm thinking maybe I'll make a spin off of this story when it's done, and just make it about sizzy instead. Good idea? Bad idea? Let me know. **

**Also, OBVIOUSLY, review and let me know if you liked this chapter! Your reviews literally make my day! And don't be afraid to tell me if you didn't like something or if it just plain sucked. Seriously :)**

**I love you all, Thanks! :) **


	9. How About No

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few days! :( I'll try to stay on track in the future! **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS OH MY GOD! Seriously, I can't even describe the amount of joy they bring me! I know I say this every time, but it really does mean a lot to me that you're all still reading my story! :) Thank you SO MUCH. **

**Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, or places… or anything really. It all belongs to the brilliant Cassandra Clare. I'd rather not talk about it….**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Alec turned toward the door quickly, ripping himself off of Magnus, and stared at the newcomers. Isabelle was standing at the threshold of Magnus's room, trying to hold back her laughter. Alec yanked the sheets off his body, trying to silently prove that he wasn't naked. Although, considering he and Magnus were both shirtless, he wasn't sure how much the knowledge that they were wearing pants would help.

"How did you get in here?" Magnus demanded.

"The door was open downstairs, and... If you didn't notice, there's not actually a door to your apartment right now." Isabelle smirked. Brother Zachariah's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"That was an unfortunate event that I'd rather not discuss." said Magnus. Alec reminded himself to ask Magnus about it later. Isabelle stared at Alec intensely, the smirk slowly fading from her face. Alec looked down at his body, which was still stained with blood, and gasped. There was blood all over the bed, spilling onto the floor. Alec looked at Isabelle in shock. He had been so focused on Magnus, he had barely noticed all the blood.

Magnus slid off the bed and snapped a robe onto his body. "Alec had some kind of a seizure early this morning. And, obviously, he was bleeding everywhere." Magnus looked directly at Brother Zachariah, "Any thoughts?"

Alec waited while Brother Zachariah spoke to Magnus. Sometimes it was really hard to have a conversation with one of the Silent Brothers. Isabelle gave him a look that said she was thinking the same thing.

"And how long would that usually last?" Magnus asked. Isabelle's eyes widened, staring at Alec with concern. Was this going to happen _again? _Alec shuddered at the thought.

Isabelle walked over to the bed, squeezing Alec's hand lightly as she sat next to him. She looked at Magnus, then back at Alec, a small smile playing on her lips. Alec felt his face redden again. He offered her a small smile in return. Isabelle's smile grew and she slung her arm around Alec's shoulder. Alec didn't think she would ever understand how much her support meant to him.

Magnus turned around, pursing his lips. He stared at Alec for a moment with an expression Alec couldn't place. "Is there no way to speed it up?" He asked, still looking at Alec. His expression darkened and his head snapped back to Zachariah. "Fine," he snapped. The Silent Brother shook his head, pressing his fingers to his temple in a surprisingly human fashion. Alec would have laughed, had Magnus not looked so distraught. Magnus listened half heartedly while Zachariah spoke to him. Suddenly, Magnus pushed past him and walked into the kitchen angrily. Brother Zachariah grabbed his arm, forcing him to listen.

"I know you do…" Magnus spoke softly, and Alec strained to hear what he was saying. It was almost like they knew each other… Isabelle nudged him with her elbow, interrupting his musings.

"I wonder if they knew each other. You know, before." Isabelle wondered. Alec looked at her quizzically. "Come on, they were all normal at some point." she pointed out.

"Okay, okay." Magnus said loudly from the kitchen. He walked back into the bedroom slowly, his arms crossed over his chest. "We have to either wait it out or try Clary, which is a long shot."

"Clary?" Isabelle asked. "What does she have to do with this?"

"We could have her try something like the mark she made on Simon," Magnus suggested. "That's all we've got right now."

"I'll call her," Isabelle told them. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Clary's number. Magnus hovered at the doorway, his fingers twitching impatiently at his sides while he waited. He stared intently at Alec, as if he was waiting for something bad to happen. Isabelle slid to the other side of the bed, giving Magnus room to join them on the bed. Magnus sat next to Alec, grabbing his hand and holding it tightly. Alec leaned his head against Magnus's shoulder and closed his eyes. Isabelle spoke quietly to Clary, informing her of the situation. Alec suddenly remembered the state he was in, shirtless and bloody, and nudged Magnus lightly.

"Will you help me?" he asked, gesturing to his chest with a shy smile. Magnus stood up without releasing Alec's hand and gently pulled him off the bed. Alec held his side with his free hand while Magnus led him to the kitchen presumably in search of towels. Alec tried to help, but was pushed toward the table gently instead. He hauled himself onto the table, gritting his teeth to hold back gasps of pain. Chairman Meow lept into his lap, rubbing himself against Alec's stomach. Alec stroked him absently, watching Magnus intently.

"Alright, I've got it." Magus announced. He emerged from the kitchen with a handful of towels and a bowl of water. Alec took one of the towels and began wiping the blood from his chest alongside Magnus. After they had cleaned the majority of his chest Magnus began bandaging his wound. When Magnus finished, he pulled Alec off the table gently and tilted his head back to kiss him. Alec smiled against Magnus's mouth. It wasn't long ago when he had thought he would never again feel the softness of Magnus's lips on his; he was grateful to be wrong.

"She's on her way," Isabelle shouted from the bedroom.

* * *

"Jace, it's not my fault you can't come." Clary told him. Jace paced back and forth across the room angrily. He wasn't allowed to leave the institute until the Silent Brothers deemed it acceptable, and it was obviously starting to grate on his nerves.

"Why can't they come here?" Jace demanded.

"Isabelle said they don't want to move him."

"Screw that!"

"Jace."

"What? He's _my parabatai. _I should be able to see him."

Clary sighed. "He'll be back soon. And so will I." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be back in an hour."

Jace groaned but didn't complain. Clary walked out of the institute and hailed a cab. She told the driver Magnus's address and gave him money. She tried to think about something else, but she couldn't help but worry about Alec. Sure, they hadn't exactly been the best of friends at first, but that didn't matter anymore. They were family; all of them. They were all important to each other now. When one of them was hurt, they all were. Especially Jace. Jace and Alec were closer than any pair of friends Clary had ever known. Clary wasn't sure how much of that was the parabatai rune and how much was just them. Jace loved Alec more than anybody else, more than even himself, which was a big deal for him. And it was obvious Alec felt the same way. Hell, he'd felt _more _than the same was a few months ago. Clary remembered how tense Alec had been around her, sometimes even bordering on hostility, until Magnus had come into the picture. Magnus had changed Alec, and everyone could tell. Clary remembered the Alec she had known when she first came to the institute compared to the one she knew now. He had completely come out of his shell. There was a certain confidence, a certain air of happiness that exuded from him now. It made her feel really happy for him.

The cab came to a stop in front of Magnus's building and Clary climbed out of the cab and headed for the door. She buzzed the buzzer and waited. The door clicked open without a word. She walked up the stairs quickly, tripping over the steps as she went. When she reached Magnus's door- where there was really no door at all- she entered without knocking.

Alec and Magnus were standing in the kitchen, looking like they'd just rolled out of bed, Magnus whispering something quietly into Alec's ear. Alec blushed and nodded. Clary smiled, glad she didn't hear whatever he had just said. Isabelle was sitting on the couch talking to Brother Zachariah with animation. Her eyes were wide with surprise at whatever he had just told her.

"I'm here," Clary announced. Everyone in the room turned toward her, relief filling their expressions. "I texted Simon and told him to come, if that's okay." She told Magnus. He waved his hand dismissively, gently pushed Alec toward the couch. "Isabelle informed you of what happened?"

"Yeah, she did." She looked at Alec, "Jace is freaking out."

Alec rolled his eyes. "I'm fine."

"_Right," _Isabelle muttered.

Clary tried to hold back her smile. "He's been banned from leaving the institute until he can stop burning everything in his path. I assume that was your doing?" she asked Brother Zachariah.

_Yes, it was. _His mouth twitched slightly. Clary's jaw fell slightly. Humor from a Silent Brother, that's a new one. Magnus sat down next to Isabelle and Alec, gesturing at Clary to sit in the chair across from him. "So what exactly am I going to be doing?" she asked.

"Well that depends on what you're capable of doing." Magnus responded.

"What I did to Simon... that was in a moment of panic. I didn't really know what I was doing."

"But you could at least try, right?" Isabelle asked. Clary looked into her eyes desperately, trying to get her to understand. This wasn't something she even knew how to do. It was all a guessing game.

Alec looked at her sympathetically. "Clary, you don't have to. This stuff will run its course and be gone in no time. Seriously, it's fine." Clary stared at him for a moment. Why would he say that? Didn't he want this whole thing to be over, if she was capable of ending it? "Tell Jace I'm fine."

That did it. Jace had told her a long time ago that Alec was always worried about everyone else, that he always put himself last, but this was just too much. "I'll do it." she told Magnus. "But we have to figure out what we're doing first. I don't want to kill him."

"As if," Isabelle said.

Clary rolled her eyes, "Alright, what are we doing?" she asked Magnus.

"I was thinking-" Magnus was cut off by a loud crash below them. The room went silent as they listened. Clary's eyes shot to Alec's, who was looking back at her questioningly.

"Didn't you say Simon was coming?" he asked. Before she had the chance to answer, a scream tore through the building. _Simon. _Clary darted out the door before anyone could stop her. She glanced back at the doorway to make sure no one was following her and plowed straight into a wall. A pair of arms wrapped around her, jerking her roughly to the side. It wasn't a wall, it was a _person; _a very big, hard person. Clary tried to pull herself out of his arms but failed. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping to attract the others. She felt a powerful fist make contact with her face, hard. She collapsed to the floor with a thud, and tried to drag herself away. Isabelle flung herself out the door with record speed, hurling the end of her whip towards him with a venomous look in her eyes. The man's eyes widened as the others flooded out of Magnus's apartment, clearly shocked by their numbers. He backed up slowly and looked at Magnus with disgust.

"You're with _them?" _he spit onto the ground and whistled. Three men came up the stairs, one of them holding a knife to Simon's throat.

"Simon!" Clary lunged forward, only to be held back by Isabelle. The look on her face was stone cold.

"Let's make a trade," the man smiled, revealing a sharp set of fangs. _Vampire. _"This one," he gestured to Simon, "for him." His bony finger pointed at Alec. Alec's face was white as a sheet, guilt plastered on his face like a second skin. Everyone in the hall went silent.

"What the hell?" Isabelle screeched. The man didn't waver. He looked at them like it was an obvious decision, like he didn't realize Alec was important to them.

"How about _no." _Magnus said. Suddenly, the man who was holding Simon flew against the wall, his head knocking roughly against the window, shattering it. Simon sprung into action, darting across the room. He rolled underneath the lead vampire, and stood up right in front of Clary. He flashed a smile and spun around, prepared to attack. Isabelle and Alec flew into the third man, knocking him down together. The lead vampire made a run for it, diving the the stairs head first. Simon took off after him, teeth bared like he was reading to rip his throat out. Clary's vision was still blurring from the fist in her face, but she managed to get to the third man, who Magnus had thrown against the wall. His eyes popped open and he sprung at Clary, clawing furiously at her face. Clary threw herself backward, and jammed her foot into his face. The vampire yelped, and threw himself down the stairs after his master. Clary didn't bother following him. She looked over at Alec and Isabelle, who had cornered the third vampire and were now posing as guards while Magnus interrogated him. Isabelle looked severely pissed off, while Alec looked scared shitless.

"What in god's name was that about?" Magnus demanded as Simon stomped back into the hall. Clary looked at him questioningly and he shook his head in disappointment. Clary almost smiled. Of course Simon would expect himself to actually catch the vampire.

The vampire looked at Magnus incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"You've got about ten seconds to answer before I end your miserable life."

"WHAT? I didn't even _do _anything!"

"Nine." Magnus narrowed his eyes.

"You can't be ser-"

"Eight."

"It wasn't even my decision! I told them to leave that idiot alone!" He shouted, pointing to Alec.

"And why didn't they?" Magnus leaned toward the man's face, his fingertips sparking in anticipation. The man looked at Alec with a hatred that wasn't hard to miss. Alec's chest was rising and falling at an alarming rate. He's scared, Clary realized. But scared of what?

The man dragged his eyes to Magnus's and spit on the ground menacingly, despite his losing position.

"They want revenge."

* * *

**So how did you like it? Review and let me know! Whether you loved it, hated it, or whatever you're feeling, I'd really like to know! Thanks you guys! :)**


	10. Can We Leave Now?

**Hey guys! I'm REALLY sorry about how late this is! I should try to sell you a mountain of excuses, but there really isn't one. I have had a sort of writer's block the past few days and I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. I don't know what the problem is. I swear I'll try to keep up better in the future :)**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! OH MY GOD I can't even tell you how excited I feel when I read them! Thank you for reading my story! 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. It all belongs to Cassandra Clare. **

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* * *

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Isabelle demanded. Magnus silenced her with a terse wave of his hand.

"Alec, can I speak to you for a moment?" Magnus asked, not turning his head away from the vampire. His voice was frighteningly calm, slicing through the room like a dagger. Alec stared at him in horror. He had been silently praying since he woke up that Magnus wouldn't ever find out about what had happened the night of the party. He had been desperately holding on to the hope that he could forget about that night entirely, but apparently not. Alec slowly backed down the hall, just a few feet away from everyone else, and stopped. He tried to make himself move further down the hall, but he was stuck. He couldn't move a single muscle in his body, no matter how hard he tried. Magnus stormed down the hall, grabbing Alec's arm and dragged him into the apartment. The door flew towards them once they were inside, slamming against the doorframe forcefully.

"What in God's name have you done?" Magnus demanded. His voice was calm, but strained.

Alec opened his mouth but no words came out. His heart beat against his chest furiously.

"I didn't mean to, I-"

"Spit it out, Alexander."

"I started a fight with the demons and vampires." Alec told him. The words flew out of his mouth like arrows. "It got really out of hand, and a lot of them died." Alec's voice shook with fear; from both the vampires and Magnus. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"Dammit!" Magnus stormed toward the other side of the room. He ran his hand through his hair worriedly before he walked back over to Alec. "Okay, tell me _exactly _what happened."

Alec could feel sweat beading at his temples while he pushed his hair back from his face with a shaky hand. "I went in because I knew there would be demons there." His voice rose and fell repeatedly. He looked at Magnus pleadingly, silently begging to stop.

"Alec."

"Okay. I went in and no one recognized me. I wasn't wearing any gear or anything so they just thought I was one of them, I guess. There were lots of demons there, more than any other party I've ever heard of. A couple of vampires were arguing with a few demons and it started getting physical, so I jumped in, trying to help. I killed the demon… but apparently that's not what they wanted. Everything basically went to hell from there."

"What were they arguing about?"

"I'm not sure," Alec told him.

Magnus leaned against the wall and massaged his temples. His eyes were closed tightly while his jaw clenched and unclenched. Alec felt small, like a child about to be punished for his disobedience. What if this reminded Magnus why he broke up with Alec in the first place? Alec shrunk back against the wall, fear overwhelming his mind. He couldn't lose Magnus again. He wouldn't.

Magnus seemed to read his thoughts as he pulled Alec into his arms and stroked his hair lightly. "It's okay, it's okay. We'll fix it." His words were comforting, but his voice was tight. Magnus released Alec and threw the door back onto the floor, pulling Alec back into the hall. Isabelle was standing over the vampire with a piece of wood from the railing against his throat. Clary was standing next to Simon shaking her head at something someone had said. Clary and Simon turned when they heard Magnus and Alec exiting the apartment.

"Thank God," Clary breathed. "Isabelle's about to kill him."

"I am not," Isabelle said. It wasn't convincing.

"It wouldn't have surprised anyone," Simon muttered.

"SHUT UP," Magnus told them. He looked at the enemy vampire. "How did you lot get in here? It's almost noon."

The vampire didn't look ready to comply. Magnus walked towards him as Isabelle pressed the makeshift stake against his chest. Blue sparks twinkled around Magnus's fingers. "I said, how did you get in here?"

"You won't kill me, it's against the Accords."

"You attacked us. That makes killing you completely within our rights." Isabelle informed him. She pressed the stake harder into his chest, drawing blood. Alec wanted to say something, but couldn't. He almost _wanted_ the vampire to attack him.

"How did the rest of them get _out _is probably a better question." Simon added. "They were gone by the time I got down the stairs."

"There has to be some kind of tunnel," Clary said quietly.

"Call Jace," Alec told her.

"Won't the Silent Brothers be angry?"

"Sure, but I think Jace's anger is scarier than the Silent Brothers's anger, and I know we'll be facing it if we don't let him know what's going on." Clary nodded and pulled out her phone. Alec turned back toward Magnus and Isabelle.

"Let's go push him out the window. He looks like he needs a little sun." Isabelle told Magnus. The vampires eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and shock coloring his face. Isabelle grabbed his arm and hauled him up against the wall.

"Okay, fine! They took the tunnels!" he shouted, shrinking into the wall. "Under the staircase."

Isabelle smiled and patted him on the head like he was a child. "Thanks, Dear." she released his arm with a smile and turned toward Magnus. The vampire took that momentary distraction in stride and lunged at Alec menacingly. He tackled Alec to the ground and began clawing at his face and chest savagely while Alec tried to fight him off. Alec rolled on top of him and hit him hard in the jaw. The vampire didn't let the pain faze him as he head butted Alec and rolled on top of him again. He leaned toward Alec's neck, poised to deliver the final strike, and suddenly gasped and froze where he was. His hand flew to his heart as he tried to pull air into his lungs and he collapsed onto Alec. Alec pushed him off roughly and saw Isabelle standing above him with her mouth hanging open, Magnus slightly behind her. The vampire had Isabelle's stake in his back, perfectly piercing his heart.

"Nice," Alec told her.

"He was an ass anyway." She retorted. Alec smiled at his sister as she pulled him to his feet. "You have got to put a shirt on." She told him dramatically. She pulled out her stele and drew an iratze on his chest quickly. Suddenly A black t-shirt appeared on his torso. Alec raised his eyebrows at Magnus, who smiled innocently.

Simon stared at them like they were all out of their minds. "Should we go look for the other ones?"

"I have a feeling they'll come to us." Magnus told him. Suddenly Jace flew up the stairs, colliding with Simon painfully hard, throwing both of them to the ground.

"What the hell, man?" Simon demanded. Simon pushed him off and got up indignantly.

Jace lep off the ground and stared at everyone with huge eyes. "So these guys just came out of no where and tried to kill you?" he asked, as if he had been part of the conversation all along.

"It's because of me." Alec told him. "I started a fight with them and some demons, and a whole lot of vampires were killed because of it."

"Did _you_ kill them?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then they can fuck themselves. Where are they?" Jace scanned the room quickly, his eyes resting on Magnus's apartment door, or rather, the lack of one. "Uh, where is your door?"

"Another time," Magnus said. "Let's go."

Magnus was the first to make a move toward the stairs, leading the rest of them like a pack of animals. Jace slipped in front of him, cutting off Alec, who was behind Magnus, and darted down the stairs at an inhuman speed. Once they were all downstairs they began searching for the tunnel. Alec looked around the corner and saw a slight outline against the paint of the wall. This must be how they got out. He looked behind him, making sure no one was paying any attention to him, and drew his stele from his shoe. He had to go alone. This wasn't everyone's fight, it was his. He had gotten them all into this mess and he was going to get them out of it. Alec pried the small door open as quietly as he could, and placed it beside the opening on the wall.

"Don't be an idiot, Alec." Isabelle whispered into his ear from behind him. Alec jumped and snapped his head toward her. She looked meaningfully into his eyes before alerting the group that Alec had found the entrance. Alec clenched his jaw and stepped aside while everyone entered the tunnel.

"This is probably not our best idea," Simon informed them as they crawled through the small tunnel. "They're probably waiting for us at the end of this."

"Don't be stupid," Clary scoffed.

"I doubt the tunnel is going to drop us in their evil vampire lair, Simon." Isabelle said. "Even if it did, we can kick their asses in our sleep."

Alec heard Magnus chuckle and tried to put aside his thoughts of death. They could do this. They had fought vampires before and they would do it again if it came to that. _But not me, _Alec thought to himself. Alec would give himself up in a heartbeat if the battle was going badly, it wasn't even a question. Surely everyone knew that.

"I think I can see the end," Jace shouted from ahead of them. Alec couldn't see past Magnus, so he couldn't tell how far ahead Jace actually was.

"Thank God, this tunnel is really cramping my style," Simon said. Alec smiled when he heard someone hit him. The tunnel was too small to look back to see, but it was probably Isabelle.

One by one they all crawled out of the tunnel, squinting through the darkness to see each other until Jace took his witchlight out of his pocket. The room was small and empty, a single chair in the center. The floor and walls were made of concrete, bare of anything except a few cobwebs.

Magnus, who had apparently changed his clothes at some point and was now wearing tight red pants and casual shirt, strode towards the door confidently. He and Jace walked out together, with everyone else trailing behind them.

"This is really creepy," Clary whispered from the back of the group. The hall was extremely long, littered with doors every few feet. They walked down the hall silently, cringing every time they passed one. Whatever Clary had planned on saying next was cut off by a blood curdling scream. The noise echoed through the hallway, making it impossible to hear where it had come from. Doors flew open from all around them and vampires swarmed the hallway.

"I TOLD YOU!" Simon shouted as the vampires surrounded them. Isabelle silenced him with a look and backed toward Alec. They were all standing back to back, ready to take on whatever threat these vampires posed. One vampire stepped toward them, holding one hand in the air. The other vampires stopped in the tracks, scowling at him. He must be the leader.

"It seems you did not take us seriously when we sent Pahnim and the others," he said. His voice was deep and ancient, despite his young face. He looked directly at Alec. "We will not extend the same offer again." He looked at Alec with malice, and Alec knew he would kill them all if he could. He would have to settle for one.

"I'll go, just let everyone else go." He told the man. He started forward only to be stopped in his tracks by a firm hand on his chest.

"Hell no," Jace said. "Sorry, Alec, but I prefer you when you're still _breathing."_

Alec removed Jace's hand forcefully. "It's me or everyone, Jace. That's worth it to me."

"Too bad!"

"ENOUGH!" the vampire shouted. The vampire lowered his hand and made a waving motion. "Kill him."

All the vampires swarmed them at the same time. From the quick scanning of the room he had done when they had first come in, Alec could guess there were about thirty of them. This was going to be a tough one. Jace tossed him a seraph blade as he swung at someones head, slicing him in the throat. Magnus was striking them down like they were small insects, pestering him. Alec smiled. He loved watching Magnus fight, though it had only happened a few times. He ducked as a vampire dove over him, landing on the floor with a thunk. These vampires didn't seem to be very skilled or trained. He exchanged a puzzled glance with Clary as he stabbed the vampire's heart. Simon was fighting ferociously, better than most of the attacking vampires as he protected Isabelle and Clary. Alec wasn't sure what exactly Jace was doing, but it involved standing on a vampires shoulders, ducking slightly so he wouldn't hit the high ceiling, and kicking him in the head repeatedly. Jace fell from the vampires shoulders and hit his head hard on the cement. Another vampire darted toward him, fangs bared as he went for Jace's neck. Alec threw himself across the hall and collided roughly with the vampire, sending them both rolling down the hall. Alec wrestled him down and stabbed him in the chest before looking back at Jace who was already fighting another one. There were only a few vampires left now. Their leader was hovering at the end of the hallway, his mouth agape as he watched the fight. He had obviously expected an easy win, which was shocking, considering how untrained his men were. Alec charged at him full speed, not thinking about anything but protecting his family. The vampire bared his fangs threateningly and charged at Alec, his filled with fury and hatred beyond anything Alec had ever felt. They met in the middle, swinging their weapons ferociously. This man was obviously very old, and very well trained. He was the only vampire, that Alec had noticed, wielding a sword. He was very good with it, but not as good as Alec. This vampire was out of practice and sloppy, missing the first few swings while Alec made direct contact with his arms, slicing them both severely. The vampire dropped his weapon and lunged at Alec, his fangs aimed for his neck. Alec swung his seraph blade at the vampire, stabbing him in the chest cleanly, ending the fight. Alec turned around to see that the others had also dispatched the vampires they were fighting. They were all standing alone in the hallway, surrounded by the bodies of dead vampires. Isabelle wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Alec with wide, tired eyes.

"Can we leave now?"

* * *

**How did you like it? I know it's a bit different than the other chapters, and there's a lot more dialogue, so please review and let me know if it was better or worse than usual. **

**The reviews actually do help me do better, so thank you guys for reviewing! **

**Thanks for reading you guys! **


	11. This Is The One

**Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving! (For all you Americans, that is.)**

**Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews. I know everyone on here goes on for hours about how much reviews mean to them, but I'm sorry, I'm going to do it too. It really means a lot to me when you guys review, even the ones that aren't really positive! I just REALLY like feedback! So thank you to those of you who have been giving it to me. Seriously. **

**Also I think I'm going to start another fanfic on the side (it's still a Malec one) so please don't get frustrated with me if new chapters are a little less frequent. I've been trying to update every other day, but sometimes I just don't get to it, or I don't have enough time to finish it yet. I'm not going to stop with this story though. I'm still trying to keep updating every other day, I'm just warning you that sometimes that won't happen. **

**God, sorry for how much I blather on… it's a problem. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, or the places… or the magic… *cries* or really anything. It all belongs to Cassandra Clare, who I greatly envy on a daily basis. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Magnus walked with them to the institute, unwilling to leave Alec until he was sure everything was safe. He knew the danger was gone, but he couldn't leave his shadowhunter just yet. He had only had Alec again for a few short hours, and even then, only a few were spent the way he wanted. But God, had those hours been amazing. He could almost feel the soft touches, the whispered I love you's… Magnus smiled to himself. He would never get used to spending the night with Alexander, and he didn't want to. Alec was different than the past lovers Magnus had been with. Something about him changed Magnus, changed everything. He knew there was a place in his heart that he was afraid to let Alec into, even after all this time; but he also knew that he had to eventually let that wall down.

Alec looked at Magnus from the corner of his eye, thinking Magnus didn't see him, and smiled a small smile. He started to hold out his hand, but then ripped it back to his side. Magnus could see his brow furrowing as he battled within himself. Could Alec still not be sure about Magnus's feelings? Yes, they had fought-and broken up briefly- and yes it had been bad, but that didn't mean everything couldn't be the same as before. Okay, maybe not _completely_ the same, but close. Magnus grabbed his hand and held it firmly, silencing his thoughts. Alec glanced at him shyly, relief flooding his expression, as they entered the institute. Simon said his goodbyes and headed back to his apartment with Isabelle. Apparently they had some kind of game to play with Jordan and Maia.

Jace and Clary walked ahead of Alec and Magnus, Jace's arm around Clary's waist as they went down the hall.

"Brother Zachariah is going to murder you when he finds out you left the institute." Clary told Jace.

"Probably," Jace responded with a laugh.

"Zachariah…" Magnus trailed off. Brother Zachariah had been at his apartment when Clary was there. But come to think of it, where had he gone? He wasn't there when the vampires attacked… was he?

Jace turned around slowly, his eyes meeting Magnus's seriously. The look in his eyes said he was thinking the same thing.

"What?" Clary asked, looking at Alec who mirrored her confusion. Magnus ignored her and kept his eyes on Jace.

"Should we check the Silent City?" Jace asked. "There's no way he would disappear for no reason."

"Who?" Clary asked. "Brother Zachariah?"

"Maybe not, but I don't know if we should _search_ for him. I assure you he can take care of himself." Magnus told Jace, ignoring Clary once again. Magnus could hear the doubt in his own voice.

"Unless he was-" Jace was cut off by the ring of a cell phone. Magnus retrieved his phone with difficulty-his pants were _quite _tight-and looked at the screen.

"Isabelle," Magnus said into the phone.

"Hey. Can I speak to Alec?" Isabelle's tone was tight with anger. Magnus raised one eyebrow and offered the phone to Alec, who raised it hesitantly to his ear.

"Yes?" he asked. He winced at whatever Isabelle said next. Magnus used a small bit of magic so he could hear what she was saying.

"_-and that _Maureen killed her? _Didn't you think that might be a good thing for everyone to know?"_

Alec glanced around at them nervously, his eyes holding Magnus's for a moment longer than necessary before squeezing them tightly together. "I forgot. I went there to kill her because..." His eyes locked with Magnus's for a moment more. Magnus tried to keep his expression neutral so he wouldn't give away the fact that he was eavesdropping. "It slipped my mind."

_"Oh my God, Alec." _

"I'm sorry!"

_"Whatever, it's fine. Just get everyone over here." _The line clicked off and Alec ran his hair through his messy hair worriedly.

"Isabelle said all of us need to go to Simon and Jordan's place." He told them hesitantly.

Jace rolled his eyes dramatically but didn't ask any questions. He pulled Clary toward the door gently and glanced back at Magnus and Alec.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Get a room," Isabelle said, staring at Jordan and Maia with disdain. They had been in the couch cuddling and making out ever since she and Simon had arrived. And yes, that included when Simon was telling them about finding Maureen at their door. God, that girl was insane. After Maureen had informed them that she was the new lead vampire, she had practically begged Simon to come move in with her. How she thought he would say yes after she had just admitted to murdering someone was beyond Isabelle's comprehension. Some girls were just lunatics.

Isabelle had almost choked when Maureen admitted to sending those vampires after Alec. She claimed that she _had to keep the people happy._ God, what a bitch. Isabelle would have attacked her- maybe killed her -on the spot if Simon hadn't pushed her inside and said goodbye. It probably wouldn't have been a good idea anyway, considering she was powerful enough to kill a Godknowshowmanyhundredsofyears old vampire without too much difficulty.

"Does your 'Protect Simon' plan also include my eyes?" Simon said.

Jordan looked up just long enough to glare before rolling off Maia into the floor. Maia sat up looking flushed and a little embarrassed as she smoothed her shirt. She didn't make eye contact with any of them.

Isabelle laughed and checked her phone anxiously. "They're on their way," She told Simon when she read the response from Alec. He nodded, glancing nervously around the room. Isabelle couldn't help but notice the slight bobbing of his knee as he glanced at the door every few seconds. Isabelle had found herself noticing these things recently. Everything Simon did pulled strings on her heart that she didn't know existed. Sure, he was a nerd, but it was in an endearing way. She felt her heart flutter as he took her hand cautiously, not taking his eyes off the door. She could barely see the edge of his smile as she squeezed his hand lightly. For a split second Isabelle wondered if she loved him. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door being swung open roughly.  
"I'm here, no need to fret." Jace announced from the doorway. Clary rolled her eyes and pushed past him, elbowing him in the ribcage.

"I thought you weren't allowed to leave the institute." Jordan said it like a question.

"I do what I want."

"Brother Zachariah is missing and Jace is taking it as 'do whatever you want.'" Clary said. Alec and Magnus squeezed past Jace into the apartment.

"Lovely," Jordan said, taking a seat on the couch next to Maia. He looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Isabelle smiled. Jordan should know by now that no one ever thinks better of anything in this group of people.

"Let's get on with it." Jace said. Of course Jace would be bored after being here for point five seconds.

"Isabelle," Simon said her name as an introduction. She supposed he wanted her to tell the story.

She made eye contact with Alec beforehand, trying to assure him that she wasn't going to blame him for anything. She hoped he understood.

"When we got here we ran into Simon's little stalker, Maureen. Remember her?" She said directly to Jace. He nodded and she went on. "She was waiting outside his apartment when we got here. She said that she had been looking for Simon to tell him the good news." Isabelle could feel the fury coming back one again. "She killed Camille, so now she's the leader of the vampires."

"_What?" _Magnus said, his jaw dropping to the floor. His eyes were wider than Isabelle had ever seen them. "She's dead?"

"I guess so." Isabelle told him. She tried not to look at Alec but couldn't help it. He was obviously trying to keep his expression blank, but she could see emotion slipping through his eyes. She decided then that she wouldn't tell everyone about Alec knowing ahead of time. That was something for Alec and Magnus to work out alone, not with everyone in the room watching, and listening, to them. "And Maureen is the one who sent those vampires after us. So, unfortunately, unless we can talk some sense into her, it may happen again."

"What are we supposed to do about that?" Jace demanded. "Ask nicely?"

"Maybe," said Isabelle.

"It's worth a try," Clary chimed in.

"Wait, would I have to go?" Simon asked. "She really creeps me out."

"Oh my God, Simon." Clary groaned.

"Just asking."

Isabelle looked at Alec and Magnus, who had been unusually quiet the whole time. "Alec?"

"Wha- sure." Alec stuttered. Okay, he obviously hadn't been paying much attention. Then again, he already knew most of this anyway.

"I vote that we go home and deal with this tomorrow," Jace announced. Alec nodded fervently.

"We're voting?" said Simon.  
"We are now. And since Alec and I are the only ones with health issues our votes are the only ones that matter."

Alec sighed but didn't fight it when Jace pulled him into the hall.

* * *

Alec woke the next morning feeling a lot better than he had the previous day. Then again, that might have been because of the whole vampire attack fiasco. He peeled his eyelids open to see Magnus's peaceful, sleeping face resting inches away from his. He had asked magnus to stay and, despite the size of the bed, he had. Alec had fallen asleep seconds after his head hit the pillow, so they had just slept. Although, Alec still wouldn't have done anything with his family under the same roof. But nevertheless, he was glad Magnus had stayed. Even that was a step in the right direction though. At least Magnus still wanted to be around him. He wondered what Magnus thought of Camille's death. He _had _loved her, at one point. Alec couldn't help but wonder if those kinds of feelings ever truly went away. He knew he would never stop loving Magnus, and he wouldn't have even if Magnus hadn't given him another chance. Magnus was it for him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Magnus turned unto his side so he was curled into Alec's body and pulled the sheets closer to his face, which was now facing away from him. Alec couldn't help but smile. He thought of all the days that he sneaked out early so he could get home with enough time for no one to realize he had been gone. Those memories were like bad dreams. He love Magnus so much it hurt, and he swore to himself that he would never hurt Magnus again. No matter what.

"Your bed is so small, Alec." Magnus said into the bed, muffling his voice slightly.

"Well, it's only meant for one person."

"Your feet are hanging off the end of the bed." Alec could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah…" Alec tried to think of something clever to say, but gave up. He wasn't Jace, and that kind of thing almost never worked out for him. Magnus laughed quietly and turned toward Alec with a sly smile.

"It might be _just big enough."_ Magnus said as he leaned toward Alec for a kiss. Alec pulled back quickly, not wanting to kiss Magnus with morning breath. Magnus snapped his fingers, knowing exactly what the problem was, having had it happen many times in the past, and Alec instantly tasted peppermint. Magnus grabbed his face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Alec kissed him back with the same enthusiasm, wanting to completely immerse himself in everything that was Magnus. Magnus moved his mouth to Alec's jaw, slowly working his way down until Alec's shirt stopped him from going further. Alec let his head fall back against the pillow and took a deep breath. This was how it was supposed to be. This was right.

Magnus pulled his head up from Alec's neck and looked into his eyes for a long moment. Alec tried to control his heavy breathing, which was impossible with Magnus looking at him like that, and started pulling himself up into a sitting position. Magnus sat up with him, still staring.

"What?" Alec asked, feeling shy all of the sudden. Magnus didn't answer, and instead leaned toward him slowly, and began to kiss him again.

There was something different about this kiss than the last one. Magnus kissed him slowly, gripping him like he was about to fall of the edge of a cliff. Alec didn't feel any of the enthusiasm that was in the last kiss, but it didn't matter. It didn't belong in this kiss. This kiss changed the very foundations they were standing on.

_This is the one. _

Alec could feel all his doubts slipping away one by one. None of it mattered anymore. Every second that passed he fell in love with Magnus all over again.

Magnus pulled away, both of them gasping quietly for breath, and leaned his forehead against Alec's. There sat like that for a moment, their breath mingling in the air, until Magnus's hand moved up his arm and onto his neck. Magnus pulled away a few inches and looked into Alec's eyes with a fiery passion that Alec had only seen once before.

"I love you, Alexander Lightwood."

* * *

**What do you guys think? I really do take your feedback into consideration for the story, I swear. So PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you like, what you don't like, etc. I love you all SO MUCH and thank you for reading! **


	12. Maureen

**I know this chapter is REALLY short and pitiful, so please don't be too angry with it. I've been trying to figure out how I feel about this story for a while and I finally came up with an idea that I liked and it worked with what I already had. So YAY! I don't have to changed the previous chapters! **

**Anyway, I already feel bad about how short it is and how long it's taken to update, so please don't yell about it. Also I'm not sure how often I'll be updating this one since I'm mostly working on Who You Are now, but I promise I won't completely abandon this one! Thank for reading you guys! I love you all SO MUCH 3**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Isabelle walked down the hall on her way to Alec's room, stopping for a moment in the kitchen to eat breakfast. She thought of all the nights she had spend the past two weeks worrying about him, worry he wouldn't come home one night. She shook her head, throwing those thoughts away from her mind. Of course Alec would come back, he always did and he always would. Alec may he a little insane when it came to the people he loved, but it was a good kind of insane. It was protective and loving and everything in between. He was loyal almost to a fault; that's probably why he freaked out so much after he betrayed Magnus's trust. Thank God Magnus had forgiven him, because who knows what would've happened otherwise.

Isabelle walked toward his room with a small smile playing on her lips. Alec and Magnus loved each other the way Isabelle hoped to love someone in the future. The way they looked at each other was something different than most couples. It was almost like they had a secret they were keeping between them. Isabelle hoped someday someone would look at her that way.

When she reached Alec's room, Isabelle gently pushed open the door, her jaw dropping at what was going on.

Magnus was on top of Alec, straddling his hips while he kissed him fiercely. Their hands were running up and down each others bodies hungrily. They apparently hadn't even heard the door open. She had known Magnus was there prior to walking in, but she had assumed they would still be asleep with how early it was. Isabelle saw Magnus's hand creeping up Alec's thigh and decided it was time to make her presence known.

"God, why does this keep happening?" She said, making her voice a little louder than necessary. Magnus and Alec both jumped and sprung away from each other, their eyes snapping simultaneously toward Isabelle.

"Jesus, Isabelle!" Alec gasped, bolting into an upright position.

"The door _was _closed, in our defense." Magnus told her. Isabelle rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed at their feet. She made a mental note to remember to knock from now on.

"Well, don't have sex in the institute and no one will walk in." Isabelle told them matter of factly.

Alec's face turned bright red. "WE WEREN'T-"

"I'll keep that in mind." Magnus cut in, giving Alec a wink. Alec groaned and fell back against his pillow, hiding his face under his arms.

"Anyway," Isabelle drawled, "I was wondering if you had a game plan for today." She looked directly at Magnus.

"Nothing specific, no."

"This is my fault." Alec said, pulling himself back into an upright position. "I don't know why I can't just-"

"Turn yourself over to them so they can kill you?" Magnus demanded. "Yes, that's a brilliant idea, Alexander. I don't know why I didn't think of that myself."

"Don't be stupid, Alec." Isabelle protested. "I'd like to think we're smart enough to come up with something."

"Can Simon do anything?" Magnus asked.

"He hasn't really been involved with any of the local vampires, so I'm not sure how much he could really help."

"I was mostly addressing the fact that this Maureen woman seems to have some kind of infatuation with him."

"She's only like fifteen, but yes, she does..." Isabelle thought for a moment. What _could _Simon do? It wasn't like he really even knew Maureen that well, she was just a fangirl... "A gig! Simon could play a show with his band. I'm sure Maureen would come and I doubt she'd bring all her vampire friends with her. She wouldn't want them to see her freaking out over the Daylighter that they all hate."

"Not bad," Magnus mused.

"Simon's not going to be happy about that." Alec pointed out.

"He'll get over it." Isabelle said, a smile smile growing on her lips.

Simon absolutely hated this plan. It was bad enough that he had to see Maureen again at all, but this was just awful. He glared at Isabelle from across the room, frowning when she smiled and waved in response. She was going to pay for this.

Eric introduced the next song and they started playing. Everything was going exactly as planned. Maureen was in the front of the crowd, small as it was, dancing and singing every word to the song. Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Alec, Magnus, and Luke were all sitting in the back waiting for Simon's que. Luke had insisted on coming to work through some kind of treaty between the vampires and werewolves in the area, which was probably necessary considering how well they'd gotten along in the past. Maryse and Robert were both back in Idris again trying to land Robert with the job of the new Inquisitor, so they couldn't make it. Although, Simon doubted they would have come anyway. Luke hadn't told Jocelyn the exact details of what was happening because he didn't want to worry her, so she was off doing some wedding stuff. She would probably be furious when she found out, but if Luke was willing to risk it, that was his problem.

The song ended on a high note, adrenaline racing through the crowd like wildfire. Eric said goodnight to the crowd and they started packing up. Simon walked off the stage toward the bathroom, just as they had planned, and was stopped by Maureen before he got there.

"That was so great, Simon!" she squealed. "I think you get better and better every time I see you!"

"Thanks," he told her with a smile. _Hold it together, Simon. You have to keep the conversation going. _"So what was your favorite song tonight?" he asked, wincing at how lame he sounded.

"Definitely the last one. _Very _sexy," she said with a sly smile. He peeked behind him at Alec, who nodded quickly before whispering something to Magnus. Damn. They had all decided that a nod meant to keep the conversation going longer. Simon knew he sucked at small talk, so this was going to be an adventure. The conversation went on for a few more painfully awkward minutes while Maureen basically held the conversation on her own. Finally Simon glanced behind him to see that all the humans had left. Finally.

Jace and Alec walked toward them first, the others trailing after them.

"Maureen, is it?" Jace said.

"Possibly," she said with a grin. "And you are?"

"Jace." he said simply. "And this is Alec, the man you sent all your idiot vampires after."

"We've met," she responded with a sly smile. Simon saw Alec tense up, his eyes staring blankly in front of him, blatantly ignoring Magnus, who was looking at him oddly. Simon knew they had met from his conversation with Isabelle earlier, but apparently he was the only one. Everyone was looking at Alec with confusion until Luke cut in.

"I'm Lucian Graymark," He said, offering his hand to her. She eyed him warily and ignored his outstretched hand. "I understand you've newly become the leader of the vampire coven here?" she nodded. "I am currently the leader of the nearest Lycanthrope pack, and I am here on their behalf, to offer a treaty." Simon could tell Luke was using his Professional Voice.

"Okay." Maureen said. "I know what you're going to say, so don't bother. I swear I won't let anyone attack you guys unprovoked, and you'll do the same. Yada, yada, nothing new."

Simon stared at her in shock, his mouth hanging open slightly. Luke nodded and walked back over to the table they had been sitting at previously.

"That's it?" Jace asked. Simon could tell by Jace's expression that he was as shocked as he could have possibly been.

"Yeah, I realized that was stupid right after I talked to Simon and that girl." She responding, pointing her thumb at Isabelle. Alec whispered something to Isabelle and she looked back at him questioningly, but nodded slowly. Isabelle turned back toward Maureen like nothing had happened.

"I'm not stupid you know," she said, her eyes connecting solely with Simon's. "I know this whole thing was a ploy to get me here. But I'm not going to do anything else, so there really was no need for that. You could have just asked me." She looked like she was on the verge of tears, which really threw him off. She shook her head wildly and looked at Jace. "I'll be leaving now."

She turned around and walked toward the door, leaving all of them looking stricken. As she left Simon noticed a glint of joy in her eyes, like she had just succeeded at some impossible mission.

"What the hell?" Clary muttered. Isabelle shared the look of utter astonishment, shaking her head slowly.

"That was honestly the strangest thing I've ever seen." Isabelle said to no one specific.

"_She _killed Camille? That _little girl?_" Magnus seemed beyond the point of confusion.

"I don't know. I didn't ask." Alec responded quietly. His eyes were full of guilt, looking anywhere but at Magnus. Magnus had a strange look in his eyes, one that Simon couldn't quite place…

"Well, damn." Luke said from the other side of the room. No one said anything in response. Magnus and Alec were off in the corner talking quietly. Well, Magnus was talking while Alec stared at the floor and nodded occasionally. Simon stared after Isabelle as she talked to Clary on their way out of the building, wondering what they were whispering about. Simon walked out of the room with Jace, who was apparently feeling similarly to him.

"Well that was a total waste of time," Simon said, trying to lighten the mood.

Jace shook his head in disappointment but didn't answer. It was useless trying to get Jace to talk when he didn't want to, Simon had learned that much at this point. The night hadn't been a _total _bomb. At least they had sorted out the new deal with the vampires. He sighed as he and Jace walked out of the bar, hoping he would never have to see Maureen again while he was still alive.

**I know it was short (not even 2,000 words, JESUS I feel pathetic), but please bear with me. I'll try to update as soon as I can but as I said before, I don't really know when that will be. Please review and let me know what you think! **


	13. He Loves Me

**Hey guys! First I would like to say thank you for all the feedback! Thank you specifically to whoever wrote a review under the name "your biggest fan" because OH MY GOD YOU MADE ME SO HAPPY! **

**This chapter is the end. It's all done now. *cries* **

**This is the end of When the Last Petal Falls. Thank you so much to everyone who was read and reviewed, I love you all so much! **

**I'm going to (meaning I already have) leave one thing unsolved that COULD lead to making a sequel, but I'll only continue if you guys think it's a good idea. **

**Also, to those of you who were wondering why Maureen was acting so weird and why she was okay with being peaceful all of the sudden, pay attention to the last thing she does before she leaves. That would be a part of the sequel, if there is one. That's all I'm going to say. **

**Magnus and Alec are my favorite couple and they're just so beautiful and I love them. Obviously. But that's kind of besides the point. I really really really am grateful to everyone who has been reading this story. Thank you so much and I love you all! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All credit goes to the lovely Cassandra Clare. **

Alec rolled over into his side, staring at the ceiling of Magnus's loft, trying desperately to find a way to bring up what had happened last night. Magnus hadn't known about Alec meeting with Maureen prior to the show last night, or really, anything he had done the that night. Talking about the night Magnus had broken up with him had become a sort of taboo subject; they didn't talk about it. Ever. Which, of course, had made it even harder to come clean about what he knew. But Alec hadn't missed the hurt and betrayal in Magnus's eyes when Isabelle announced that Camille was dead and Alec had known about it. He had hurt Magnus _again, _but this time he would make it right. Alec would do whatever he had to do to fix this. He wouldn't let Camille ruin anything between he and Magnus ever again.

Alec could hear Magnus's steady breathing beside him, and anyone who didn't know him would have thought he was asleep; but Alec knew better. Alec knew that there was _no way _Magnus would be sleeping after all the revelations that had been made today.

"Magnus?" he asked timidly. Magnus didn't move or make any sound and Alec felt his stomach drop. What if Magnus didn't want to talk about it? Or worse; what if Magnus was forming some kind of speech to try to let Alec down easy. Alec didn't even want to imagine that, he couldn't.

"Magnus, are you awake?"

"Unfortunately." Magnus mumbled into his pillow. Alec's heart was beating like a hummingbird's. He could feel his palms sweating as he tried to figure out what to say.

"I'm not angry, Alexander." Magnus said before Alec could say anything.

"I..."

"Alec. Stop." Magnus said. He rolled over onto his back and pulled himself into an upright position. "I'm not angry at you. And stop imagining that I'm going to break up with you again. Jesus."

Alec sat up so he could look into Magnus's eyes. "Magnus, I-"

"There's nothing you can ever say to make me love you less. So stop worrying."

"But _there are _things I can do to make that not matter." Alec said, thinking of the night Magnus found out about his deal with Camille. Magnus had told him that he loved him, but that it didn't matter. What he had done had been more significant than the love Magnus felt toward him.

"Obviously not," Magnus said with a small smile. "Look at where we are right now."

Alec stared into Magnus's eyes cautiously, holding desperately to the hope that he was telling the truth. He knew Magnus loved him, that wasn't even the question. The question was _is love enough? _

Alec knew that Magnus had forgiven him for what he had done. But He hadn't really forgiven himself. He couldn't. After all the lying, all the sneaking around… Magnus had to care about it. There was no way he could just let go that fast.

"Magnus, I don't want to lie to you anymore." Alec said. He inhaled a shaky breath and pulling his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly. "I don't ever want anything bad to happen to you because of me."

"Nothing has yet." Magnus told him, lifting one side of his mouth into a lopsided grin.

"Magnus, I'm serious!"

"So am I." Magnus told him, his face turning suddenly somber. "Nothing has ever meant as much to me as you do. I was practically going out of my mind in those short weeks that we were apart. It hurt me to leave you probably as much as it hurt you. I couldn't even sleep without seeing your face." Magnus's voice was becoming more and more passionate with each sentence, stunning Alec into silence.

"And then when I saw you standing in the street staring at this building… I thought I was dreaming. Every moment after that has been more bearable than the time we spent apart. Even when I thought I would lose you, I was glad that I would at least be with you when it happened. Because it's you, Alec. And I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, in all the time I've been alive. You are the one person that I am absolutely unwilling to part with."

Alec's eyes were beginning to burn while Magnus spoke. Could this all be true? Could Magnus really love Alec that much? He blinked rapidly, trying to push back the tears that threatened to fall. Magnus did love him, and for some insane reason, forgave him for everything.

"I love you, Magnus." he said. Magnus blew a calming breath from his lungs and pulled Alec's face toward his own, crushing their lips together with passion. Alec smiled into his mouth, finally letting the tears fall freely.

Magnus loved him. Magnus loved him.

Alec released his legs and slid them flat against the bed, running his hands down Magnus's chest then around to his back. He pulled Magnus as close to his body as he could physically get without crushing them both. Magnus ran his hands up Alec's shirt, gripping at his back with a desperation that he couldn't quite comprehend. Magnus deepened the kiss, causing Alec to hum quietly in satisfaction. Alec could taste the salty flavor of his tears while Magnus's tongue danced in his mouth. He knew he would never get used to the way Magnus kissed him. The way that Magnus said his name when he needed him most.

Magnus brushed his hand across Alec's leg, lingering at the top of his thigh for an extra moment.

"Alec," Magnus whispered, resting his forehead against Alec's and caressing his face. Alec leaned into his touch while Magnus kissed his way down Alec's neck, removing his shirt in one smooth movement. Alec sighed as Magnus pressed him onto the bed, kissing him until he couldn't think straight.

Everything would be alright now.

Everything would be perfect.

Alec sighed into Magnus's skin and closed his eyes, thinking only of how much he loved Magnus.

It was funny, in the end, how love really did have the power to change everything. No matter what Alec did, or how many mistakes he made, he was sure Magnus would never stop loving him. Their love could overcome anything.

Alec remembered the night Magnus had given him roses, and he had peeled one to shreds trying to figure out if Magnus loved him.

_He loves me._

He had of course freaked out afterwards, upset that he had ruined the first gift Magnus had ever given to him. Magnus had laughed at him and told him they were just flowers. They didn't matter. It was why they were given, and who gave them that mattered.

_He loves me not._

That's what it all comes down to, after all. It's all about love. You can chase fantasies into the sunset as much as you'd like, but it's what real that matters.

_He loves me._

The times that you argue, and then make up. The times that you slam the door, then open it again because you meant to go out the other door. The times that you say I love you. The times that you don't. All of that adds up into something beautiful.

_He loves me not. _

All of that adds up to one thing. Love. Beautiful, inspiring, once in a lifetime, extraordinary love. And if it's real, it won't break. If it's real, you have nothing to worry about.

Because when the last petal falls, you know that he'll be there to catch it.

_He loves me. _

**Again, thank you to everyone who has been reading! I love you all so much!**

**Let me know if this is a good ending or if you think I should continue. I'm no good at judging these kinds of things. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! **

**I literally love you all SO FUCKING MUCH! Seriously. **

**- Hannah xx**


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